The Quandary
by PyroKid
Summary: 10 years after the current situation. The Syndicate approaches Haibara with an offer: Trade Conan for Akemi, or die with the both of them. It’s pretty obvious what she wants to do, but why is it so hard? ConanxAi, WIP 9th chapter up: Revelations.
1. Prologue Kill Him

"Kill him." The black clad man known to others only as 'Gin' commanded, speaking softly into the cell

phone. He was leaning against his black Porsche, the ubiquitous cigarette loosely gripped in his right hand.

"_Must we_?" the voice on the phone asked.

"Loose ends must be... taken care of." Fire danced in the icy-blue, limpid pools of Gin's eyes.

There was no reply from the other end.

"What's wrong? You've quit your 'devil may cry but I don't give a damn' way of thinking..."

"Some unexpected factors arose and unanswered questions remain." The voice replied coolly.

Gin snickered. "Very well. But remember your purpose and don't lose sight of your goal." He turned his

phone off, slipped it into the pocket of his black trench coat, and straightened his back, his golden/blond hair

swaying in the wind. He smiled to himself, stepped into the car, and began to drive, neglecting the seat belt.

"How's it going?" A shorter, stockier man sitting in the passenger seat asked, pushing the bridge of his

sunglasses up.

"She says there are still some questions. We'll have to wait," Gin answered as he smothered the flame

of his cigarette, twisting it and tossing the cigarette butt into the ashtray.

"But... are you sure that she's not stalling for time to hatch a plan?" Although he was afraid of the man

sitting beside him, one who killed people and later laughed it off as a joke, he ventured to ask another question,

hoping that Gin was in a tolerant mood.

"Of course not." Gin stepped on the brake as he encountered a red light and faced the man sitting

beside him. "Hat!" he snapped.

Obediently, Vodka pulled his black hat lower, shielding most of his facial features from the cameras.

Satisfied, Gin continued, "She won't do anything rash... as long as her sister's here" he glanced

at the traffic lights. Still red. "Once she gets enough information to perfect APTX-4869, she'll use it to get

rid of him." As the light turned green, he stepped on the gas. Gin continued speaking to Vodka, although

his eyes were now on the road. "Of course, if that doesn't work, there's always the... traditional method"

Vodka grinned and fingered the gun in his pocket, Gin's smile mirrored on his face.


	2. The Encounter

Disclaimer: I don't own DC or anything remotely related to it.

The Quandary

Chapter 1 - The Encounter

Reformatted 1.27.04

Ai Haibara sighed as she turned off her cell phone and put it in her backpack. She was sitting in the chair in front of the monitor in the professor's basement. An open box sat on the table. Inside, there was a single pill. Ai reached over and took the pill in her tiny hands. Turning it over and over in her palm, she began to think about the way things had turned out. Ever since _that_ day, it was always, 'kill him' 'perfect the APTX-4869', 'kill him', and 'kill him'. That was all she had to do. Afterwards, her sister… both of them would be forgotten by the Organization. Just two simple tasks, yet… she couldn't. _Why_? Earlier, she'd been indifferent, nonchalant. So why was it now, now that she was so close to achieving a normal life with her sister, that her conscience began to nag her? Who cares about the people that will die in the future, killed by APTX-4869? Who cares about Kudo? But in spite of that, she couldn't do it. She might as well ask herself, 'Who cares about the Professor? Everyone that you sought help from when you first arrived? It doesn't matter if they die-- at your hands, does it?' She thought about it again. Why did she keep stalling? This situation… it was exactly the same as her sister's had been a couple of years ago. That's when she 'died'. What if they really do it this time? Why would they let two former members of the Organization run free? That, her doubt, was one of the reasons. But there was also another reason. _That_ reason.

Aloud, she said to herself, "If Jiminy Cricket† were here…" she made a violent motion with her minuscule hands. Sighing, she weighed her choices again. A: 'Free' my sister and myself from the clutches of the Organization by condemning thousands of people to death with this, and save the Professor, the kids, Mouri… everyone but Kudo. Or, B: She could refuse to do it, and get killed, along with her sister, Kudo, the Professor, the kids, and the Organization would eventually find someone to replace her, to perfect the poison after she was 'taken care of'... in the eyes of a bystander, option B would seem to be the better one; save thousands of lives by sacrificing yourself and a few others, but… a bystander wouldn't understand. The bystander hadn't relied on one of the 'few others' during childhood; the bystander hadn't been taken in by one of the 'few others'… Plus, sacrificing herself was one thing, but deciding the fate of others… that was something she couldn't do. She... she had no right. She couldn't just decide that for another.

_ So what?_ she asked herself. _ Kudo does it. He does it every time he takes that temporary antidote. He risks not just his own life, but mine, the professor's, the Mouris'_… and, _he does it cheerfully, as if he's jeopardizing _nothing_. _Why is it so hard? Just pick one. _Why is it so hard?_ Angrily, she hurled the pill onto the cold basement floor.

Just as her foot made contact with the white pill to crush it, the door opened, casting a fine line of light upon the dark basement floor. A second later, a dark shadow appeared, partially blocking the light and leaving the outline of a short boy.

"Hey, what-" Conan began conversationally. He stopped short as he saw the scene before him, and took a few steps forward. "Wh... what _is_ that?"

_I've already decided not to go along with their plan... might as well tell him. But I don't think I should do that unless I have no other choice. I could always tell him that it's another failure. _Haibara thought, eyeing the boy standing by doorway. "It's another one. I ran some tests, and..."_ Dammit, now_ my_ life is becoming lies, too._ She thought as she broke off. Luckily, Conan assumed the silence was because Haibara was unwilling to admit that, in her fury, she had destroyed the failure.

"So you crushed it in your rage?" Conan sounded slightly amused. "I thought that we established that since it wouldn't benefit either of us, you'd... quit..."

"Yeah, but... I don't know... I just- I guess it's a habit..." Haibara looked at the crushed pill with feigned interest.

Conan was silent for a moment, then he began to speak. "You know, you don't have to lie to me. You've been acting kinda weird for the past week..."

"You must be imagining things," Haibara replied in an offhand tone. "It's not like you'd actually be able to tell if I did act differently..." she ended with a sarcastic smile.

"I'm not quite sure how to explain it, but I just know... Something's not right." he took a step forward with an almost accusing look in his eyes.

Haibara extended her arms in a shrug, accompanied by raised eyebrows. "And I thought that _I_ was the paranoid." she muttered, just loudly enough for him to hear. Her mask wasn't slipping a bit, but inside, she was torn by indecision.

"At school... you're not..._focused_. Not the way a normal 9th grader is focused, but 'focused' in _our_ terms. You've stopped mocking the hypocritical biology teacher, you've stopped correcting the ignorant chemistry teacher, you don't come with us when we skip English... When we walk home together, you don't talk. You just go to your room when we arrive here. You don't even make fun of the homework anymore, you just do it in the morning while you cram your breakfast in your mouth. If I were anyone else, I'd say that you've finally 'straightened up', aside from the procrastination, but... I know better. Something happened last week." Conan said, with a surprising degree of certainty in his voice.

Haibara looked at him for a second before her mask crumbled. "Last weekend... the convention." her words were barely audible.

Conan nodded. The professor had gone to a science convention that lasted the whole weekend. He had gone to soccer scrimmage.

"They came..."

_Wordlessly, Haibara walked down the stairs leading to the basement. Unwittingly, her thoughts drifted to her future, which was odd, because when she was in the Organization, she knew that after she created the perfect, untraceable poison, she would be assigned another project. But now, she was free from the Organization. Maybe she could live a _normal_ child's life. Yeah, right. Eventually, they will find the tiny imperfection, and when that day comes... The little girl standing alone in the basement shuddered. The silky strands of strawberry-blond hair danced in the air as she shook her head as if, by that simple act, she could clear her head, erase the memories..._

_The normally-cheery chime of the doorbell had been transformed into a nerve-jangling, discordant shriek, jolting her out of her thoughts. Curiously, she quickly ascended the stairs and waited, listening. Nothing. Cautiously, she stepped up and headed towards the door. Strange, Agasa hadn't mentioned any visitors, or that he was expecting a package... When she reached the foyer, her blood froze in her veins. Gin was leaning casually against the wall, and Vodka was standing in the doorway. With a start, she dove into the kitchen, grasped the doorknob of the door leading to the yard, and-_

_"Stop." Gin commanded in an icy tone._

_Haibara straightened up and glared at them, composing herself. "Do you really think that-" she began, although she knew that they'd had ample time to kill her, so they must have another reason for coming..._

_"Hey, what are you doing?" A voice she'd never forget burst out. _

_A shocked expression replaced the mask of indifference she'd slipped on to hide her fear. _That voice... but... how? ... _ Quickly, the expression on her face reverted back to a look of carelessness and slight suspicion, with a touch of contempt for her own confusion. _Wake up. Just because they've got your sister's voice on tape... It's just from earlier... before she died... _she thought._ _"Clever. A recording." She tried to make her voice sound indifferent, sarcastic, even. But even to herself, the childish voice sounded strange. "You should've known that such a simple trick won't work," she continued._

_Vodka flashed a wolf-like grin at her and stepped aside. _

_Haibara's mask shattered, her heart stopped, and her head spun. She reached out with a trembling had and her long fingers grasped the doorknob for support. Palpable confusion was present in her blue eyes that held in their depths an astounding extent of brilliance even for an adult, let alone a ninth grader. "Wha-" she croaked, her voice a mere whisper. "_What_?" It was impossible. Those eyes. The face. That voice. The person behind Vodka... it was... _her sister_._

_A sly, evanescent smile flitted across Gin's face. Yes, everything was going exactly as planned. _

_"Well, where is she?" Akemi Miyano demanded. "You-"_

_Vodka smirked and motioned towards Haibara with a sweep of his huge hand, cutting her off in mid-sentence. _

_"What?! This little girl?" Akemi turned to face Gin. Shock, disbelief, and a slight hint of anger were evident both on her face and in her words. But the depths of her eyes reflected realization and sadness. But of the three others in the room, only Haibara could penetrate the layers of feigned shock and anger to see that. _

_Vodka rolled his eyes, a subtle action that went unnoticed due to his sunglasses by all except Gin. First, they had to convince one, the _genius_ that her sister was still alive, although she was standing in plain sight. Then, they had to convince the other that her eighteen-year-old sister was actually this fourteen year-old girl poised by the door like a frightened deer ready to bolt. _

_"Due to the situation you're in, I'd say that our requests should seem quite reasonable," Gin addressed the shocked girl. "Observe Kudo, and using the data, recreate APTX-4869. You will be given further instructions. Take this." Gin tossed a black cell phone to her. _

_As she made no move to catch the phone, the black phone plummeted towards the kitchen floor and certain destruction. At the last second, Haibara bent down and snatched the phone. "So... what do _we_ get out of this...exchange?"_

_"Well... the Organization might... _forget_ about some certain people... and we'll stop hunting them down..." Gin referred to them vaguely in third person to amuse himself while seemingly absently turning his gun over in his hand._

_"Yeah, like it was 10‡ years ago." As she spoke, a puzzled glint appeared in Haibara's eyes, and her head involuntarily turned in the direction of her sister._

_"Believe what you will." Gin shrugged, replying in an indifferent voice. _

_Her head was racing and questions flew through Haibara's mind. _How is it that she's still alive? _"Who _are_ you?" she asked her sister. "_Who are you?" _purely for the benefits of Gin and Vodka. _

_Vodka, being the stupid one, offered to let them speak privately._

_Gin shot Vodka such a malevolent glance that Vodka cringed. "Very well." Gin motioned towards the kitchen, then turned to Vodka. "Can't you tell that's what they wanted?" he demanded._

_"Yeah, but..." Vodka looked around, then lowered his voice. "she's bugged. I did it when she was getting out of the car." Vodka finished proudly._

_"You _what_? Do you realize that you just-" Gin clenched his fists in anger. "That bug... it'll override the-" Gin stopped as he realized he was speaking loudly enough for others to hear. He began to speak softly, but clearly. "I already had one. It sends a signal to HQ. After they decode and unscramble it, they can overhear the conversation directly, as it happens. You _stupid_-" Gin stopped himself from unleashing a torrent of verbal abuse at his incompetent partner. _

_Akemi walked towards her sister, smiling to herself. She had destroyed the bug, and Gin's transmitter, too. She stopped paces from her sister knelt so they would be eye level, and took in what she saw. The guarded expression, unique red/blond hair color, blue eyes..._

_"What happened?" They both asked at the same time._

_"I... I'm not quite sure..." Ai admitted. "I... well, do you remember the... bank heist?"_

_ Akemi nodded. "Did it start there? I thought it was kinda weird how I was pulled out during the lunch break..."_

_ Ai's eyes narrowed. "Lunch break?" she repeated sharply._

_ "Yeah. They said that I just had to act like it was a normal day, then leave for lunch and not come back." Akemi clarified._

_ "So who...? A low-ranking member they needed to pin the blame on?" Ai wondered._

_ "Who what?" Akemi asked. "Who was the robber? Who died?"_

_ "Yeah. They made it look like a suicide, and your alias was all over the papers. That's why I thought you... Anyway, I halted all progress on APTX-4869 until they provided a reason. They never did. I refused to continue the research and development. They sent me to the gas chamber, but Gin was called away... a messenger came to speak to him, and all I heard was 'urgent', 'found', and a name I couldn't make out. I was handcuffed to a column to await my death, and Gin left with the messenger. Luckily, I still had a single pill left, and I decided to end it all-- on_ my_ terms. But instead of killing me..." Haibara stopped and looked down at her hands, palms up and parallel to the ground. _

_ "Well, my story is a lot simpler," Akemi began, breaking the silence. "Basically, from the lunch break, I was picked up and taken to one of the smaller bases. "I've worked there ever since. When I asked, they said that you'd been allowed to leave, as we'd agreed." Akemi finished._

_ "So the deal that you made with them..." Haibara trailed off. _

_ "I'd accomplish that simple feat, and you'd leave," seeing the questioning look on her sister's face, Akemi quickly added, "I'd stay semi-involved, like before."_

_ For a few seconds, they both fell silent, each thinking her own thoughts. _

_ "So... d'you know why I was chosen to develop the drug and work for them, but you were-- just kinda like a part-time member?" Ai finally asked. _

_ "You were just a little kid," Akemi replied after a few seconds' pause. "I had learned to hide my intelligence behind a mask of stupidity, much like the way the way you hide your emotions. However, you were freely displaying yours, pointing out flaws in new products, giving advice on theoretical stages of development of everything from guns to... pills. I, on the other hand, acted so stupidly they couldn't believe it. _Oh... my gosh..." she imitated, _"this kid is practically _retarded_. At first, I thought that she just had bad eyesight; there's _no_ way _anyone_ could be _ that_ stupid." _

_Ai chuckled, surprising herself. It was a real laugh, free of sarcasm and a mocking edge. "It was that bad?"_

_Akemi shrugged. "Well, the Organization does have high expectations and standards. They fell for it, and it bought partial freedom... plus, both high school and college were so easy... I took the hardest courses offered, and yet I _never_ attended class except occasionally to obtain information on future tests and on the actual test dates; I just hung out with some friends. "_

_"Yeah, the Organization has really high standards, and when I went to college in America, it was like that too. Just that I actually went to class, being the introverted type of person that I am... well, I went to class when I felt like it." Ai amended. She smiled. A genuine smile, not sardonic or derisive. _

_The loud clunking of boots traveling across the tiled kitchen floor sounded, added by Vodka's declaration that time was up and demand that they get moving. _

_A blank look shifted onto both of their faces as the sisters rose. _

_"F-" Ai began hotly, but as she remembered that her sister's fate remained in the Organization's clutches, she stumbled. "F...arewell..." she ended lamely, with a vague nod towards her sister. _

_Reluctantly, Akemi slowly-but gracefully-moved toward the door. Haibara watched her go, equally reluctant, but with a blank look on her face. She managed to hold on to the mask, struggled to keep her mind clear, strained to stand until the door closed. Then, before the sound of the receding footsteps had vanished, she collapsed into a heap on the kitchen floor, her head swirling with jumbled thoughts. _

† Jiminy Cricket is the conscience in Pinocchio.

‡ In Volume 20, File 1 of the Chinese version, Haibara says that she's "18, like you." I assumed that two years had passed since Volume 1, when Shinichi was 16 (again, according the the Chinese version). I know there may be discrepancies due to the translations, but...

Thanks to the one person who reviewed the prologue.

Ryyan- grins Well, does it look like it's building up to Conan X Ai? I don't know... I didn't plan on it being that way, just a normal action/adventure story, but then again, I didn't plan much at all...

reize-feitan - Thanks! (May take awhile, but I have no plans of ditching this one)


	3. Entr'acte: Flashback: Comments, Reviews

The Quandary  
Chapter 3  
Entr'acte - _Flashback_: Comments, Reviews, Fan mail

flashback  
A boy of fourteen with a wiry frame and shocks of black hair made his way to the gray mailbox. Eagerly, he pulled it open and reached inside. _Well, I've just solved another case, and the comments should be flooding in..._ Nothing. Finding the mailbox empty, he scowled irritably and slammed the door of the mailbox, his annoyance reflected in his dark blue eyes and his eyebrows furrowed in a frown.

"Solve a couple of cases, and pretty soon, everyone states to take you for granted. No one appreciates or respects my work enough to comment, not a single one! Have all of you people out there **died**??!!" Conan Edogawa raged. "Well, fine! If you want to play dead, I'll join you. We'll see who's left to solve the hardest, most unusual cases the police come across without me. Certainly not that idiot Kogoro Mouri."

"Something upset you, Shinichi?" the professor asked as Conan entered.

Two years ago, as he began to look more and more like Shinichi, Conan's parents took him from the Detective Agency and left him in the professor's care, claiming that they no longer wished to burden the great detective. Because Agasa was a relative, it would be less of a hassle. Kogoro hadn't been sad to see Conan go at all.

"_Has something upset me??!!_ Yes! I've cracked so many cases as Conan Edogawa that the public is beginning to take me for granted. Look at this." Conan held out his empty hands, palms up and about a foot apart. "_Nothing_. Not a _ single_ letter, fan mail, or comment. So you know, I think I'll quit and devote myself to my studies, maybe help Haibara find an antidote with my spare time instead of wasting it solving crimes and doing the ungrateful public a favor." Conan shrugged carelessly.

"You will not," a cold voice originating from somewhere behind Conan contradicted.

Conan grimaced. It was Haibara, icy, as usual. But there was something else in her voice that made her sound impatient... almost annoyed. He spun around. "Won't what?" he asked.

"I'm getting along fine with the antidote, and I don't need your help," she replied.

"_Doing fine_?" Conan repeated. "If you're doing fine, then where is it?"

"You know, if I were you, I think I'd be a bit more careful about who I insult and make demands of. You do realize that I won't, in any way, benefit from the creation of the antidote? I'm much better off the way I am, and if I make and give you the antidote, you'll draw _their _attention, which will in turn endanger _me_. Now why would I do that for someone acting the way you do? Why would I endanger myself for some egomaniac who takes out his anger on others because he has received no comments on his work?" Haibara demanded.

Conan was stunned. His eyes widened, and he stared at the girl before him in disbelief. For the past eight years, they had always gotten along... well, they had maintained a certain degree of amity. _Did she just threaten to quit developing the antidote?_ He opened his mouth uncertainly. "I... I'm sorr-"

"Don't bother," Haibara cut him off. "I know you're not. You're just saying that so I'll-"

"No, I am. I truly am sorry... I never _did_ stop to consider... not when you gave me the temporary ones, not when I pestered you about the antidote afterwards, not earlier... I never stopped to consider how that would impact the people around me. All I knew was that for a day, a _whole_, blissful day, I would be free... I would be myself. I never took into account the fact that if someone saw me, it'd be over not just for me, but for you, the professor, maybe Genta, Ayumi, and Mitsushiko... But it's not like that anymore... like you, there's no reason for me to return to my former state anymore..." he finished sadly.  
/flashback

BlackIce29, Kaitou Magician, Kasuga-sempai - Whatever... consider it AU if you must. Like it really matters, anyways.

0....0 , reize-feitan, 1134 , Jack5 - lol, yeah... I think it's def. C x A


	4. The Dream

The Quandary

Chapter 3 - The Dream

Haibara shook her head, pushing the thoughts of the Organization and her sister to the back of her head, then gave a mental start, suddenly aware that the blue eyed boy she was facing had been saying something to her in an inquiring tone. Something about... what was his question? Maybe it was-

"Hey! Snap out of it!" Conan refrained from yelling. Well, he tried to. It came out as a shout, but at least it wasn't the quavering, hoarse whimper that he felt like uttering. _They came_... Haibara's words reverberated in his brain, each resounding echo accompanied with what seemed like a forceful blow to the stomach.

"Is something wrong?" Haibara demanded in her usual cold tone.

"Come on! First, you start to explain why you've been acting so weird. You manage to spew out two words, and then you trail off into silence," Conan answered.

"Um..." Ai shivered as if the mere thought of _them_ had summoned an aura of iciness, as if she had been plunged into the freezing waters of the Arctic. "I went to answer the door, but they had already broken in and had only used the doorbell to get my attention," her eyes flashed at the thought of being summoned, but as her thoughts turned to her sister, bewilderment surfaced in the blue eyes.

Astonished by the excessive show of emotion, Conan, unsure of what to do, merely stood waiting, occasionally reaching up to brush the unruly lock of black hair out of his dark blue eyes.

"They came, and said that we have two options: A) Die and let their targets live for another two years until they get another biochem guy to finish the Drug, or B) Perfect the APTX, save ourselves but technically murder hundreds. They said if I finished it, we could walk, and we'd never hear from them again. We could fade from the surface of this cruel world..."

"and live together in peace... just the two of us..." Conan added before thinking about the words flowing from his mouth. His words were followed by an awkward silence as the pale color of his face gave way to a red hue.

At first, Ai thought he meant "live together in peace" as in "coexist in the same place (i.e. a room) at the same time without coming to blows on subjects such as 'APTX-4869' or 'antidote', but from the expression on his face, as well as the following words, he obviously meant something else. She refrained from laughing, but couldn't help the sarcastic remark that had formed in her mind. "Has our relationship progressed to such a state? I hadn't noticed," she smirked, "And that's not 'we' as in me and you; it's 'we' as in me and-" _Wait, is it really a good idea to tell him? You can't trust people, and who knows if they've planted any bugs here? No, it's not safe, no matter the reason. But could he really be in deeper sht than he's in now? Well, no matter. I can always tell him later..._ "...you," she finished lamely, but she still wore the mask, making it a strange combination of a cold, steely look and stuttering words. _Well, it's the partial truth..._ "Anyways, they left after that..."

"Then that pill you just destroyed... it was APTX-4869? Just... enhanced?" Conan spat the word out distastefully.

Haibara nodded. "Yeah... "

"Then... your sister?" Conan inquired.

"How did you kno- dmn..." Haibara scowled, realizing her blunder.

"I didn't... but I do now," Conan gloated.

Although he could sense none of it from her blank face and casual posture, Conan detected a touch of something in her voice. Shame resulting from the fact that she had perfected the poison, he told himself firmly, not regret that she threw away her chance to save her sister. "Your sister," Conan began, shifting the subject from APTX-4869 after the uncomfortable pause; they both knew a considerable number of people had been killed with it, and did not have pleasant memories about it. "If she's really smart enough to hide her intelligence when she was five years old, why-"

"Of all-" Ai began furiously; Conan's change of subject was not a good one. Then, as suddenly as it came, her fury dissipated, or rather, she veiled it. All that remained, the sole indicator of her present mood, was the glacial glint that enhanced the freezing chill of her normally frigid blue eyes.

Conan's face contorted in a grimace. Besieged by that wintry spark and fixed stare, Conan was pummeled into apologizing. "I... I'm sorry." It was like being thrown headfirst and naked into the Arctic Ocean. The shock, the stabbing daggers... keep moving unless you want to freeze. "Keep moving unless you want to freeze..." he muttered to himself.

"What?" Haibara's eyebrows rose to emphasize the question.

"Nothing," he answered quickly, "I mean, uh, why... why did you..." his eyes strayed towards the fine powder strewn on the basement floor, barely visible due to the lack of adequate light. "You've probably weighed all of your options, and..."

"By your standards, destroying the pill would be the first thought. The only thought. It would be the right thing to do," she added in a mocking tone. "So the fact that you asked that question means that you're surprised that I destroyed the pill. You're surprised that I did the right thing." The frostiness never left her eyes, though it didn't touch her voice.

Floundering in the Arctic Ocean, Conan just hit an iceberg. "Uh... no, just-" Conan stammered, "Not that you did the right thing, just that you... you just threw away your sister's life, if not yours." He didn't mention that, in rejecting the Organization's offer, she had saved his life.

"Well, I could always tell them that no matter how I... perfect it, there will be a small number of people who are immune to if due to differences in biological structures, minor as they are. Besides, I could always kill you; I'd get credit for that," Haibara continued in the usual listless tone.

_Please tell me that was a _bad_ joke..._ "Um..." Aloud, Conan floundered for words.

"What's your choice?" Haibara interrupted, despite the fact that she was sure Conan would sacrifice himself for those that were targeted by the Organization.

"Huh?" Conan asked, staring blankly at her and shaking his head as if waking from a trance. "What?"

"Even though ultimately it _is_ my decision, I can't make this choice for others. You have two options. Choose your fate." Because she knew what the reply would be, the tone in which she spoke was strangely calm.

"Oh... Well, there really isn't much choice, is there?" Conan replied softly, a sad smile accompanying the determined glint sparkling in his azure eyes.

"Yeah... what other course of action would you choose?"

Haibara's Diary

6-20, 22:38

I talked to Kudo today... the response he gave me wasn't the clearest in the world, but... from what I've gathered, he plans to sacrifice himself. Speaking of Kudo, he said something weird today... okay, disturbing as the thought is, I'll dismiss it, and hope that I never have to draw it again. Back to the Dilemma -- either we live with the knowledge of literally killing tons of people, or we die and they get to live for 5 more years at the max. "There really isn't much choice, is there?" The look in his clear blue eyes, the slight curve of his mouth, and the sad sparkle on his face all contributed to that stupidly self-sacrificial aura radiating from him that clearly enunciated his intent to submit to _their_ will and travel one of the paths _they_ revealed. If I'd done that, where what would I be now? A couple of atoms and molecules scattered throughout the world? It's time to think outside the box. We'll have to expose the Organization. We'll have to take them out.

Conan's Diary

6-20, 8:42 PM

Dmn, I can't believe I said that out loud, in front of her! I can't even believe I'd say that!

... Especially when... Ran just... died... three weeks ago. I thought I'd gotten over it when we realized that making an antidote wasn't just 'not quite feasible', it was utterly impossible. To me, she might as well have died then... or that's what I thought, at least. But the reality of it... and _how_ it happened... _why_ it happened... _who_ made it happen...

But as for the more pressing matter on hand, I did successfully trick Haibara into thinking that I'd give my life for the people, which is actually just confirming what she knew I'd say. It's a good thing; that way, I cam plan and operate without endangering anyone else. But I've decided what I'll really do. I pick option 3. I'll have to expose the Organization. I'll have to take them out.

The soft, pale light of the moon illuminated the frame of a small figure sitting on a bed, reclining against the headboard, and staring out the open window at the scintillating sea of stars winking from the distant expanse of darkness. Her strawberry blond hair fluttered as a soft zephyr brushed by, rustling the sheer curtains as it went. She could hear the groan of the mattress from the adjacent room, as well as faint mumbles, which she dismissed until she heard:

"Wait, no! Don't do it, don't shoot her! Haibara... _Haibara_!!"

_What if _they... without any further consideration, Haibara jumped off the bed and dashed out of her room. She approached the room next door cautiously, analyzing the situation from the tiny crack of the open door. She saw nothing, so she flung the door open and stepped in.

"Huh?" Conan sat up breathing heavily, his black hair soaked with perspiration, diluted eyes frantically searching the room.

Seeing that no one else was in the room, Haibara turned to Conan. "What the _hell_ was that?" she demanded, anger contracting her eyebrows into a slight frown. "I was sleeping, you know, what normal people do at night," she lied.

"A dream?" he whispered incredulously. "Just a nightmare? But it was so real..." Conan seemed to calm down, shifting his gaze to Haibara. His voice faded away when he saw the disapproving frown on her face. "It was the Organization," he began, dropping his gaze to stare at his covers. "It was like when Ran died, except instead of having to pick between Ran and the people downtown, it was her life or...yours," he finished, lifting his head slightly to look at her.

"Charming," Haibara answered with unfeigned disinterest. "I'm sure that since I'm not as important as a couple thousand bystanders, you saved her this time. Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to get back to sleep, as it _is _quite early in the morning..."

Conan looked up, noting that she'd once again slipped on her mask of indifference. "Yeah... sorry about that," he glanced at the clock. 2:49 AM. "See you _later_ in the morning..." he called towards her retreating back.

Haibara turned, fixing Conan with an even stare, eyebrows slightly lifted in amusement. "Sweet dreams," she turned and left with a soft snicker, gracefully weaving through the maze of dirty clothes, detective novels, cleats, junk food wrappers, and Agasa-made gadgets.

With the soft click of Haibara's door, Conan reached up with a shaking hand to wipe his forehead, mentally recalling the dream.

_He was blindly running forward in the ominous darkness, struggling to keep his labored breathing even in the stifling environment of pungent air. For some reason, it was imperative that he find the light, the beacon shining in the darkness. He just had to. After a long stretch, he stopped to rest against the wall, breathing heavily, shirt soaked with perspiration, heat racing wildly. When he looked up, the darkness had been replaced by a faint, fuzzy star of light twinkling in the distance. Ignoring the stitches in his side, "14" year old Conan Edogawa raced towards the light, running as he never had before. The small flashes of light grew larger and larger, steadying, and finally seemingly moving forward, towards him. When he burst into the lit room, he only had time to observe that the vast room was barren and unfurnished, with only a small lamp hanging from the ceiling, a few chairs, and a bare desk before a whirl of black, blond, brown, and red blurred his vision as his sharp ears picked up the sound of a gun cocking. _

_ "Freeze, Kudo, or she dies," a cold voice demanded in a soft, lazy voice. Gin had appeared from nowhere, and now stood about twelve feet from Conan. As usual, he was dressed in a black trench coat and boots, his blond hair swaying as if a gust of wind had just torn through the room. He held a small gun pressed against Ran Mouri's temple. A dazed, moronic look surfaced on Ran's face. " 'Kudo'?" she repeated stupidly. _

_ "Shut up!" Gin snarled, furious at the interruption. "You want to die?" _

_ "Die? You're not killing anyone until you've had your 'fun', you sick bstard," Ran shouted angrily. _

_ Gin laughed coldly. "Well, you're not retarded after all, just extremely dumb, like those musclemen," he retorted, with a glance in Vodka's direction, "able to kick butt... to some sorry extent, but unable to think for lack of a competent brain." _

_ Enraged, Ran drove her elbow into Gin's stomach... or at least as far as it would go, which was not at all. Her left elbow came into contact with what seemed like a solid wall of steel, sending a jarring wave of pain up her arm. Pocketing the gun, Gin raised a fisted arm to block the descent of her right arm with lightning speed, then delivered a teasing blow to her head, and planting a palm on her back and pushing her forward almost simultaneously, slamming her head against the floor in rage. From the doorway, Conan tried to help, but was powerless; all he saw was a blur of movement as Gin struck. Gin pulled the gun out and once again pointed it at Ran's head. _

_ "Stop! Don't hurt her; don't shoot her!" Conan pleaded. _

_ "Shoot? You think it'll be that easy? While I do agree that being shot like a dog is rather fitting for her, I prefer something else, such as asphyxiation, starvation, drowning, maybe... perhaps the quaint little water deprivation trick with a jug of water _just_ out of reach..." _

_ It was then that Conan realized that he didn't want Gin in jail, he wanted Gin dead, ashes scattered amongst the world. _Stop it!_ he ordered sternly. _Anger fogs your vision; look what happened to Ran. _He couldn't help but shoot a quick glance at the floor, at Ran. Look of exhaustion, blood flowing down her face... Conan looked back up. _

_ "What do you want me to do?" he asked as he realized that he'd lost. "What do I have to do?" he asked in a pleading, broken voice as he felt the war,, we tears trailing down his face. _

_ "Do?" Gin repeated, puzzled. I merely wanted you to witness the death... and to confirm your identity, both of which you have stupidly fulfilled by coming here." Gin mocked, his voice dripping with feigned innocence as he widened his eyes and straightened his face. "But your offer to do something... to save her life... All right," he exclaimed, snapping his fingers and nodding at Vodka. "Simple, really. Just say the word and she's free. _

_ Conan looked up, not daring to believe it. Haltingly, he opened his mouth. "Let --" _

_ "I'm not done, you idiot," Gin interrupted without a single trace of anger, still gloating at his ingenious new idea. "You must pick," he smiled at Conan, "_between _them." _

_ Confused, Conan looked up - just in time to see Vodka re-enter the room, followed by a girl with strawberry blond hair, standing without the slightest trace of emotion on her face. _

_ Shock seized his mind, dread numbing his body as he realized what he would do, what he _had_ to do. Sure, Ran was more important to him than almost any other person, but when compared to Haibara, she was nothing. "I... I'm sorry, Ran," he began, staring at his shoes, unable to look at her. "I... I have to. If I had any other way..." his fists clenched, his jaw tightened, and his entire body tensed. "Free Haibara," he finished in a stronger voice. _

_ Ran looked up. "You're wrong," she whispered weakly, "That's not Shinichi Kudo... he wouldn't choose anyone in the world over me." _

_ "What do you know, you moron? When you... parted, all you knew was that _you_ liked _him_. You have no idea how he feels about you; even in the phone calls, he never mentions it," Gin sneered at the prone figure on the floor before turning to Conan. _

_ "You did it," he said, a maniacal grin on his face. "You condemned her to death, after I listed the possibilities. Starvation. Dehydration. Asphyxiation. Drowning. Blood loss..." Gin clearly voiced each possibility cruelly, adding the most recent brainchild of his sadistic mind. Conan collapsed, facedown on the floor, mumbling. _

_ "What's that?" Gin asked mildly, still thinking about alternative methods. _

_ "Starve her," Conan replied in a stronger tone. _

_ "Yeah, right. I know what you're doing; that stupid backward psychology crap so we _don't_ starve her. Well, congratulations, you're getting what you asked for. Vodka! You heard what our young guest "requested"... go do that immediately after this, and feel free to be creative! _

_ "No..." Conan, who still hadn't moved, seemed for all the world like a child upon the brink of despair... that is, to everyone who didn't see the joyous grin he had on his face for the brief second before he rose, once again the child seized by grief. _

_ "Now, leave. I'll give you a few years to wallow in self-disgust and regret before I come for you," he announced, motioning to Vodka, who grabbed the two "children", knocked them out by exposure to sleeping gas, and disappeared into the darkness. _

_ It was exactly the same as what happened in reality, just that it was Ran or the couple thousand people who had unwittingly wandered into the Organization's trap, and Haibara wasn't there at all. I had been wishing I could've done something else... wishing so badly that I dreamt about it, but when I did, I still left her to die, even when the stakes weren't as high. _Why_ would I do that? What the hll was I thinking? _He clenched his hands, grabbing fistfuls of black hair. _Why?! Why?! WHY?!?!?! Calm down, _he ordered, lowering his head so that its weight was once again evenly distributed between his upturned palms propped on his knees as he sat cross-legged. _You have no control over what happens in your dreams, _he was telling himself when he suddenly remembered a small scrap of information, one of the few things he actually _learned_ in Psychology: _sometimes, dreams reflect your inner self and feelings, even the ones you're not quite aware of yet._


	5. School

First Silvera: You have to think about it first, though (or reread the first couple of chapters, as I've been lazy and haven't updated). Quite a few years have passed (6, assuming that Conan is currently "8"), since he's known that Shinichi Kudo would never be "resurrected", including the four years Ran spends at college. I think six years is ample time to forget someone… and he wasn't choosing just a 'few' people over Ran; it was a fairly large number (I think I made it a thousand or so? Anyhow, the number's way off from the truth because I have no idea how many people live in this fictional city in Japan…) and _anyone_ with an _ounce_ of righteousness would pick any number of innocent people (well, a reasonable number larger than one) over a single person, let alone Conan. As for "being fair to Ran", I'm not doing it intentionally, it's just that most authors only include Haibara in the beginning to miraculously come up with the antidote overnight, then suddenly decide to run away, kill herself, or get captured and killed. Since no one bothers to be fair to her, I'm writing one where she's actually a main character. Also… I would change the parts concerning Ran as you asked, but she's already dead and there's not much I can do at this point… thanks for reviewing, though!

Kasuga-sempai: Yeah, I am sure. If you haven't already, read the note above.

Author's Notes (A/N): School's started…

Disclaimer: I do not own DC, any of these characters, etc.

The Quandary

Chapter 4 - School

The soft, cheerful glow of dawn shone through the open window, painting the room a gentle pink hue. A small figure on the bed blinked sleepily, yawning and stretching before checking the clock, heading to the bathroom, and getting dressed. Conan Edogawa emerged from his bedroom and headed for the stairs, noticing the rays of light emitted from the room beside his. Quite obviously, the door was open. He stopped and peered inside the room, curious to see why anyone else was up so early. As he peered into the room, he saw a neatly made bed, a plain desk furnished with only a desk lamp, a pristine, white carpet, and a bookshelf with the books packed neatly. It was quite a contrast to his own room, which looked like a tornado had struck recently.

Standing by the open window, Haibara was gazing outward as a gentle breeze rustled her hair. Conan continued into the room silently, like a stealthy predator stalking its prey. When he was close enough, he extended an arm and gently tapped her on the shoulder. The effect was instantaneous. She whirled around, the soft pink light playing across her face and her sparkling blue eyes wide in surprise – for the few milliseconds before Conan found his face mere inches from the carpeted floor, his arm twisted behind his back, and a hand gripping his wrist, applying slight but steady pressure upwards.

"Oh… Kudo… sorry," she apologized in a sincere tone that contradicted the amused glint in her eyes as she released him. "Are you hurt?"

"What was _that_?" Conan groaned, rubbing his shoulder and seating himself on the edge of the bed.

"You came intomy room, didn't announce yourself, approached within arm's length, and made physical contact," Ai replied matter-of-factly.

"You tried to _rip_ my arm off because I surprised you?" Conan exaggerated, as people from the victims' point of view tend to do.

" 'Rip your arm off'? I would never do that!" Haibara replied, donning a mask of innocence. "It was just a gentle hold; there is a very large difference between such a lock and 'ripping someone's arm off.' Besides, it's 5:34 in the morning!"

"Well, the fact that the sun had indeed risen by 5:34 in the morning means that you were provided with ample light to see. You _saw_ me. You _knew_ it was me, yet you still did it; what are the chances that it was an accident?" Conan demanded.

"Um, mathematically and technically, that would be a rather strong argument, as the chances _are_ extremely low. However, you do have to take a look at the other factors. Perhaps you 'surprised me' and I just did it naturally, without thinking. The chances of that are fairly high," Haibara answered in a childlike fashion, widening her eyes to enhance the look of innocence. "…and I didn't mention the time as an issue of visibility; I meant it's _kind of_ early, and you should notbe in my room."

"I… well, the door was open, and I just…" Conan stuttered, trying to formulate an excuse.

After a few seconds of silence, Haibara broke the tension, "I'm going down to get breakfast. Come if you want, but get out of my room, okay?" she turned and exited the room.

Conan leaned back, staring at the ceiling. Almost immediately, his mind began to replay the incident, displaying picture after picture: Haibara staring out the window with her back to him, the peaceful, childish look upon her face as she turned, mixed with some surprise, the calm manner in which she delivered her 'defense' – _What's wrong with me? It's not like I _like_ her, why do I keep thinking about her? _Quickly, he stood up and left, intending to return to his own room. His feet carried him down the path he'd taken millions of times, down the steps and to the left. _Down the steps? _Looking down at the tiled floor, Conan found himself in the kitchen. He wandered over to table and sat down, giving a start when a voice addressed him.

"About that earlier-" Haibara began, picking up a quarter of an apple raising it to her lips.

"I thought about it a little, and it _was_ my fault," Conan interrupted quickly.

"…if you say so," Haibara answered with a small smile. A genuine smile, not a derisive sneer or a mocking smirk. "But… you should get some breakfast; school starts in approximately 45 minutes, after the time it takes us to walk there."

"The first day of school always sucks," Conan replied unhappily, "but I guess I should get something to eat…" he headed for the pantry, grabbed a slice of bread, and stuck it in the toaster. "I don't see why the professor can't register us as "home-schooled"… it'd be so much better that way."

"Yeah, but at least we're not in stuck in elementary as the freaks who knew how to multiply," Haibara answered, finishing her apple.

"But still, it's like regressing from college level to 9th grade. We all _know_ about Darwinism, no one believes in creationism, we obviously don't need to take English, no one cares about the obvious relation between calculus and physics..." he trailed off.

"That's post graduate school for me, but yeah, you're right, although… reading '_The Book of Five Rings' _and _'The Art of War' _for summer reading is a new one; it does not give the impression that the gym teacher is… sane; it's not boot camp we're going to, or a specialized course like Military Science; it's just normal physical ed." Haibara voiced her opinions in an amused tone.

"Actually, the school board _does_ give him free rein to do as he likes, so if he/she really wanted to, he could actually make it a 'boot camp'," Conan pointed out.

"Of all the moronic things to do…" Haibara sighed, checking to make sure she had her books, "but we all underwent intensive physical ed. when I was younger, so gym class won't be much of a challenge," Seeing the confused look on Conan's face, she elaborated, "Yeah, we all had to go through training, which incorporated many styles of martial arts, mostly empty handed combat because the Organization believes in guns over a bamboo staff, and everything about guns: maintenance, troubleshooting, parts, and shooting, of course. It was 'just in case', for emergency situations; mostly ones such as exposure and getting away from cops. But…isn't it taking an unusually long time for your toast…?"

A scorched, burnt smell wafted across the kitchen from the toaster's location.

"Aaaahhh! Stupid toaster!" Conan cried as he rushed to the counter and hastily unplugged the toaster. "These stupid appliances never work properly!" He looked into the bread slot, only to find a crushed, blackened slice of 'toast'. Dejectedly, he reached into the dishwasher for a pair of chopsticks and managed to retrieve his breakfast.

A muffled chuckle reached his ears, and he turned to see Haibara shaking with mirth.

_…I guess we've all changed over these past six years,_ he thought in surprise.

"Here, you can have the other half of the apple," Haibara offered, holding out the two remaining quarters of the apple.

"Thanks," Conan replied gratefully as he reached for the apple. As he did, his hand grazed Haibara's fingertips, sending a jolt through his body, rooting him to the spot.

Wordlessly, Haibara raised her eyebrows questioningly as he paused.

"N…nothing," Conan stammered, taking the apple and turning to repair the toaster, glad for an excuse to hide his blazing face but wishing he could control the wild pounding of his heart.

"We should leave…" Haibara announced softly, rising from her seat at the table and grabbing her backpack.

"Right," Conan agreed as he promptly set the toaster down and picked up his backpack, then headed for the door. "So, what classes do you have?" he asked as they set off in the direction of school.

"Bull like "AP" Physics, "AP" Biology, "AP" Chemistry, whatever math class they stuck me in, and the other requirements," she listed, pronouncing the letters "A" and "P" skeptically while pulling out a schedule, "Calculus 2? What the heck?"

"We're only 'freshmen', remember?" Conan replied

"Calculus 2 is simple enough for freshmen," Haibara stated simply, "if it's considered hard, what do normal freshmen take?"

"Uh… I think it's Algebra 2, but ranges from 'Foundations' to calculus," Conan answered before changing the subject, "Hey, we have virtually all of our classes together," he noticed after a quick glimpse at Haibara's schedule, printed on a sheet of light blue paper.

"Yeah," Haibara replied after glancing at Conan's schedule. "It's not that surprising, since we're both taking all the requirements and the hardest electives."

"… So why is your backpack so light?" Conan demanded as he hunched forward to counter the weight of his backpack.

"It's not; it's almost an entire third of my weight," Haibara answered calmly.

"A third of your weight amounts to a staggering 25 pounds," Conan replied sarcastically.

"28," she corrected quietly, "Anyways, 25 pounds doesn't seem like that much, but 25 pounds' worth of books is pretty heavy to shoulder the whole day."

"This should be illegal," Conan grumbled, reducing his speed as they approached the school.

"This is only the first day of school; you'll get used to it." Haibara pointed out. "We have calculus first…"

"Wow, I still remember how to get around this place," Conan stepped through the doors and turned to the right. "Come on, I'll show you around; we've still got almost 15 minutes."

Haibara followed silently, taking in her surroundings.

"This is the garden," Without slowing his stride, Conan gestured at the clusters of colorful flowers and continued forward. "These doors are the entrance to the math pod; the stairs to the left lead up to the science pod, which is directly above math," he explained, starting up the stairs. He paused at the top of the stairs. "To the right, this leads to the cafeteria, which is fairly large, and beyond that, outside." They continued down towards the cafeteria, pausing by the doors. "To the left, this ramp leads to the library and language pod. That ramp leads to math, which is where we're headed."

"Yeah, since we have our whole schedule together, I'll just follow you after class. Let's head to Calculus…" Haibara suggested reluctantly, heading down the ramp leading to the math pod. "Room 218…218…" She glanced at the room numbers as she passed the rooms.

"It's that one, the one over there," Conan pointed at a door to their right.

When they entered the classroom, they noticed that the desks were the crappy kind that consisted of a very small writing surface attached to a plastic chair. The only others in the room were two people sitting in the back of the room, so they just picked the two seats closest to the door and put their stuff down. Over time, the room gradually began to fill up. At promptly 7:25, a tall man with glasses who looked as if fresh out of college entered the room.

"Okay, guys, I'm Eguchi, your Cal 2 teacher for the next year!" the way he delivered his introduction and his general manner marked him as an enthusiastic, energetic person. "Here is a syllabus and a list of my rules/expectations. Please study them carefully and abide by the rules," he began to read the most important rules, and those governing food/drinks in the classroom. "I'm supposed to go over the emergency procedures with you guys as well… in case of a fire, we are to silently but swiftly exit this room, head to the left, and out the doors by the gym, then meet at the stop sign to the right of the 'Teitan High School' sign, everyone understand?"

"Seeing as this classroom is on the first story, why can't we just open that huge window and crawl out?" Conan asked. "It's more logical, because there would be tons of people out in the halls…"

"Whatever… it's not like this is my Foundations class. I trust that you are all capable of finding an exit and waiting at the assembly point," Eguchi shrugged carelessly. "Other natural disasters…" After running through the emergency procedures, he began teaching the first lesson "Let's start the actual math… today we're going to learn about vectors. Vectors…"

The rest of the period inched by slowly. Time itself seemed to have frozen as Conan struggled to stay awake. Haibara was openly ignoring the teacher, staring out the window.

"Hey, Haibara! Give me the equation of the plane perpendicular to the one containing points {(5, 12, 3), (2, 4, 7), and (4, 6, 14)}," the teacher snapped, noticing the inattentiveness of the red-haired girl.

Turning her head slowly, Haibara answered almost immediately, pronouncing the words in a bored monotone.

Taken aback, Eguchi merely stared at the 'freshman'. "Well… seems as if you know this lesson already. Whatever," turning to the class, he proclaimed loudly, "if you already know this, I don't care what you do in here as long as you make acceptable grades on my tests; pass notes, do other homework, whatever. Just don't talk or disturb the class."

Upon hearing this, Conan immediately pulled out a sheet of wide-ruled notebook paper and a clear blue mechanical pencil, and began scrawling a note, then handed it to Haibara, who unfolded it and began to read as the teacher began to issue textbooks.

Note

_I know this is really boring for you, but it's the highest-level math course offered here… yeah, pretty pitiful. But anyways… our next class is Physics, which I'm sure will be _much_ more challenging for you. It's in room 666, according to my schedule sheet. Appropriately located, if you ask me. The teacher from when I was here was such a …yeah, you get the idea. You do know where the science pod is from this morning, right? …just in case we get separated in the crowd… after Physics is English, which I'm sure will be exceptionally challenging, given your circumstances: "studied in America for large portion of life". Depends on which teacher we're assigned; some are pretty cool, and others aren't at all. Gym… well, the coach is obviously a bit strange this year, so I'm not quite sure how it'll go. Biology will be more tedious; we start by learning about functional groups and sugars. Computer science shouldn't be a problem; the teacher's a pedagogue. As for chemistry… the teacher's ok, but like biology, we start at the basics, so you'll be really bored. Oh, I almost forgot, lunch, the highlight of the day; we're not assigned seats, tables, or areas, and some days the people who don't pack lunches can sneak off campus in pursuit of edible food. It's directly after English…_

/Note

After she finished reading, Haibara turned the paper over and began to write a response. _Yeah, today's classes are pretty boring and pointless, but since it's required by law that we attend school, well, we're here. Physics…_

"Okay, guys… your homework is on page eighteen, problems one through 45 every other one," the teacher announced. "Go ahead and start on it since we're done for today."

The rest of their classes flew by fairly quickly, and neither Conan nor Haibara paid attention to either the Physics or English teacher, except during the Physics teacher's speech when she announced that she didn't care what they did during natural disaster drills as long as she was the first one out the door. It wasn't until they were walking towards the cafeteria that Conan remembered that he hadn't packed a lunch.

"Oh, screw it!" Conan exclaimed as he came to a sudden halt.

"What's wrong?" Haibara asked.

"I forgot my lunch…" Conan explained.

"Wow, the college-level student forgot his lunch," Haibara answered, an amused smirk on her face.

"Well, did _you_ bring your lunch?" Conan demanded.

"No, I don't eat lunch." Haibara replied.

"What?! How could you _not_ eat lunch? Are you serious?"

"No, I just didn't want to admit that I also forgot mine," Haibara admitted softly.

"Well… we could leave campus for lunch; there's a great drive-through kind of restaurant, Buddy's†, like five minutes away. I used to skip class all the time to go there; my last class was English, and since it's not required, there were only two classes, so each class consisted of over a hundred people, so no one ever bothered to take attendance. I'd just sneak out, go to Buddy's and get some food, then walk home," Conan suggested as he started walking in the direction of the gym. "We can go out through the doors near the gym; there're a lot of doors there because that's where we gather for schoolwide announcements, and it's required just in case there's a fire or something. Anyways, no one's ever hanging around those doors."

"Whatever," Haibara shrugged, then followed Conan in the direction of the gym.

- According to his age, he would be somewhere in his sophomore/junior year when he shrank, but given his intelligence and knowledge, (plus his ego)…

- This is actually possible; I always have to lean forward because my teachers are evil and act as if their very existence is dependent upon assigning homework.

- I know nothing of Japanese architecture, and with school in session, I'm too busy (lazy) to do research on it, so the school won't be a vivid picture. However, since most of us have been stuck at school for some number of years (too many), we can all formulate a picture…

- Foundations is the lowest level of math, hence 'foundations'. Kids in that class are taught stuff like the four basic functions.

† This fast food restaurant is kinda based on a small one I know, but I changed its name (which is why it has such a stupid name). If there really is a restaurant called this, I didn't know.

25 pounds is around 11kg

"AP" classes are like International Baccalaureate, if you're more familiar with that term…

If the way I mutilated the Japanese culture when they're at school violently ticks you off, tell me how to fix it… I know there isn't a school in the world where teachers really don't care if you don't pay attention (maybe college… for most professors, as long as they're paid, you might as well cease to exist)


	6. Lunch

Author's Notes (A/N): Okay. Maybe I'm just an insensitive, apathetic freak, but is it wrong to think that if a character in your story is physically 10 years younger than someone he used to like, and that person has been away from home due to college and stuff for six years, and there's no way they could ever get together unless it was 70 years ago in the times of arranged marriages, that he could forget her? Oh yeah, ...and she's DEAD. Sorry about the massive anti-Ran-ness, but I really don't like S/R (bet you hadn't figured that out yet), and if Aoyama-sama wrote S/S, I wouldn't have to!   
Someone said that I wrote as if Ai dislikes Conan, so there are some thoughts in this chapter. They kinda seem OOC, but these are just thoughts, not words or actions.

Disclaimer: Recognize it? Yeah, I don't own that. ...or that. ...or that, either. ::sigh:: I own nothing but the plot of this story. There's a blatant rip off Alexandre Dumas somewhere in there, but that's only because Dumas possesses one of the brightest minds ever to grace the face of the planet; I mean... I worship The Count of Monte Cristo. Can't say anything about the Musketeers series, since I've never read the unabridged versions.

L[a]DyP[a]R[a]No[i]D: Yeah, I know what you're talking about (school system)... I don't know... it just didn't occur to me at all to write it like that. Hmm... the way I write S/S fics, Conan's always the one who likes Ai. Dunno, just turns out like that. As for "where they really stand"... I'm not even sure myself, lol. As I mentioned in the response to some reviews that expressed..._disappointment_ over Ran's death, that picture isn't complete yet... he actually planned everything out, but one tiny thing went wrong, and... Anyways, even if it was a flame, I don't mind... flames usually point out flaws in the story. It'll be in one of his (meaning Conan's) journal entries or something.

The Quandary

Chapter 5

"We have first lunch," Conan said as he and Ai calmly walked into the gymnasium, "which means we have to be back here by 1:25, giving us-"

"45 minutes," Haibara finished for him.

Conan grinned, shaking his head. _How could I forget her brilliance?_ "Yeah, they give us _way_ too much time to eat," he admitted, glancing down at the light reflected from the newly finished basketball court. A small movement caught his eye and he looked up, noticing that the students of a gym class nearby had risen from their seats and were heading outside with no particular regard to formation. "Hey, hurry up... we'll just pretend we're with them until we get outside."

Wordlessly, the two quickened their pace to a slight jog, managing to slip into the back of the group. They followed the class down the halls, partially listening to the chattering of the other students.

"Turn here," Conan whispered, breaking away from the group.

They reached a set of doors at the end of the hallway, and exited the building. Instantly, Ai brought her hand to her face to shield her eyes from the glare of the sun. Conan, drenched in the warmth of the sun's rays, turned to the right and glanced at Haibara before breaking into a slow jog. "Come on, it's just a mile or so down this way.

A few minutes later, they saw a lit sign proudly screaming "Buddy's" in the distance. A cool blast of air greeted them, a much-appreciated reprieve from the sweltering heat of midday as Conan pushed the door open, stepping aside to allow Ai to enter first. She flashed him an appreciative smile and stepped in. Conan found himself beaming like an idiot, surprised Haibara hadn't noticed the joy radiating from within him.

"Hello, and welcome to Buddy's. How may I help you?" A cashier asked, staring at the cash register.

"I'll take a veggie burger with a Peachy Sprite," Ai said softly after carefully scrutinizing the menu. She stepped aside to allow Conan to order, and caught herself staring at his profile: shocks of jet-black hair that, despite the unkempt appearance, never failed to catch glances of admiration, small nose, clear, limpid, sapphire eyes that always attracted and held her attention, and his childish grin that made everything seem all right.

"Uh... I want a hamburger with a Cherry 7-Up," Conan finished his order and reached into his pocket. Taking out his wallet, he paid the cashier and moved aside.

Taking the food, Conan and Ai headed outside where the tables stood.

Haibara reached for her drink, but Conan sat fidgeting, occasionally sending Ai an awkward glance.

"So... what do you think of school so far?" Conan asked, having finally thought of a topic to discuss.

"Boring... the only interesting part of the day so far is sneaking out and having lunch." Haibara smiled at her own statement, causing Conan to give a start. It was a true smile, brightening Ai's usually impassive features, which spread a warmth throughout Conan that jolted him to reality with a startling fruition - he would trudge through all eighteen levels of Hell and back for that smile. It was as if Haibara's smile had a contagious quality to it; Conan could not resist the forces tugging at the corners of his mouth, and broke out into a beaming smile.

Haibara noted his grin with a raised eyebrow, concealing her emotions so well that not even Conan could tell that she would venture into the depths of the Organization's base and back for that smile, the smile that had become her guiding light in times of darkness. _Wait... _**what**_ did I just think?! _Haibara shook her head gently, sending strands of strawberry blonde hair into a mesmerizing saltation as she tried to clear her mind. _I do _**not **_think that smile is worth such danger, I do _**not**_ think Shini--KUDO is cute... where did that come from? Why am I trying to refute what has not been established? That wasn't something I was thinking unconsc__iously, was it? Of course not; Shiho Miyano does not allow pathetic emotions to leave flaws and weaknesses... Shiho Miyano does not feel; she exists only to think, to listen to the logical path set forth by her calm, unaffected mind. She does not fall prey to imperfections such as emotions._ But from a far corner of her mind, a small voice whispered, _"Can't you let the façade do__wn for one day, _one day,_ and just be Ai Haibara?" _

"No..." Before she realized it, a sorrowful whisper had escaped her lips in brazen defiance of the voice urging her from her all she knew, persuading her to step out of the role of cold, heartless genius that she'd been raised for by the Organization.

Conan noticed when her eyes lost a bit of their clarity and sharpness, however negligible the amount, and was about to ask if something was wrong when he heard her speak. _'No'? Did I do something wrong?  
_"Wha... Is everything okay?" he asked quietly. "It wasn't anything I-- I didn't do anything--"

"No, it was nothing," Haibara interrupted quickly. "It wasn't your fault." _It's not your fault you exist. It's not your fault that every minute, every _second_ of your presence tears me apart; the gaze of your piercing eyes come dangerously close to seeing right through me, your lithe grace is alluring yet distracting, the sound of your voice grips my attention with more temptation than the sirens' song, and your smile... the world could end for all I care as long as you keep smiling. _"I was just thinking about... my sister," Ai lied softly.

"What about her? I mean, what about the deal? I've already failed to save Ran from them; I won't let them take your sister as well," Conan ended resolutely, jaw set.

"I... what? No!" Haibara exclaimed as realization of what Conan had just said dawned on her. "That would mean either turning you in or an attack on the base, neither of which we can afford. We are only two people, Shinichi. We cannot hope to take on the Organization and emerge victorious."

"So? You can turn me in. I'll get out," Conan replied confidently, his voice dying out as he realized what Ai had just called him.

"I can't turn you in!" Ai was speaking with more vehemence than she had in the past ten years of her life. _I can't lose you. Not for a day, not for an hour... Not even for Neechan. _The realization hit her like a ton of bricks to the face. _Not that he's more important to me, but simply because I have wrought enough havoc to his innocent existence, _she told herself firmly._ My creation ripped him from his perfect life and forced him into hiding from this behemoth we refer to only as 'the Organization' or 'the Syndicate'. I have brought enough evil to this world in the creation of the pill... I don't deserve to send a perfectly innocent person to his death for my benefit. I don't even deserve this life: I don't deserve to sit here, safely tucked away into the corner of a small restaurant enjoying lunch with him, I don't deserve to live here in peace with him, I don't deserve to have my presence tolerated by him. I owe him so much... how could I _ever_ even _think_ of turning him in? Doesn't he know that? _

"Why not? I'll find a way out. I might even stop by for some additional information, if you know what I mean." Conan's face shifted into a mask of persuasion as he waited for Haibara's answer.

_Why does he put me through this? Doesn't he know that this is ripping my mind to shreds, having to choose between him and Neechan? _"No..." Ai repeated in a choked voice. "It's too risky; I can't do this." Haibara stopped and took a deep breath, forcing her voice to its usual calm. "I can't do this," she repeated. "If something--anything--were to go wrong and..." Ai broke off again, waiting for her meaning to sink in before continuing. "I would never forgive myself knowing that after all I'd done to you, you died at _their_ hands trying to save my sister."

"But... this is a great chance to infiltrate the Organization! Our front is already set up and everything... all we have to do is plan some stuff and act!" Conan argued.

Ai's eyes flashed. _Why is he so stupid? Doesn't he understand what we're up against? Doesn't he know that he'll surely die? _ "You haven't seen what the Organization does to their prisoners. They are under constant watch, and it is impossible to escape. If they want information from you, they'll keep you alive, but you'll be in a small room with nothing but a single table on which they will place their..._instruments_ upon entering. Each member has a different style; I think Gin favored a length of knotted rope soaked in water. He said the rope retained water better than the metal of knives. Vodka, on the other hand, just had a pair of brass knuckles."

"You got out," Conan persisted stubbornly.

"That was with the help of APTX-4869 and a bit of luck; Gin was called away on grounds of urgent news, and the APTX just happened to shrink my body instead of killing me. I doubt you'll be that lucky, and even if you were, you have no APTX-4869 to help you. I..." Ai tried to keep her voice even, but it wavered, and she broke off. _If you died, I'd lose it. I can't survive without you. I... Whoa, hold on. I was fine before I met him. I've lived without him before, and I can still do it. _A voice in her head contradicted, still trying to override the instincts of her heart. _But for what? Nothing. There was no point to my life before, nothing I lived for. When I showed up on the professor's doorstep, I wouldn't have cared if I just died out there. _

Seeing how distressed Haibara was by the notion of risking his life, Conan decided to drop the subject. "Right. Right... I'm sorry."

An uneasy silence fell over them as they ate wordlessly. Nervously, Conan checked his watch, and was relieved to see that it was already 1:10 PM, leaving them 15 minutes to return to school.

Conan cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I... uh, you might want to finish that," he pointed at Ai's veggie burger, "since we should get going; it's 1:10."

"I'm not hungry," Ai replied thinly, reaching across the table for a plastic knife. Taking the knife, she absently cut the significant remnants of her burger into small bits and scattered them across the grass for the birds.

"Um, right. Well, we should probably go back now..." Conan suggested quietly.

"Yeah," Ai replied listlessly.

They both rose, drinks in hand, and set off in the direction of the school. Neither felt like running, so they shuffled along in silence, each thinking about the Organization. Before they realized it, they had come to a stop at the tennis courts beyond the gym doors of the school, and quickly scanned the parking lot for the school-employed police before running for the doors. Once they reached the other side, they quickly entered the building and headed into the gym.

"How convenient; our next class is gym," Conan said sarcastically, glancing around at the empty gym. "We're around five minutes early... oh well. The first day of gym is always so boring... all they do is explain what we'll be doing and hand us some stupid forms to get signed that releases the school from any responsibility on the occasion that we are injured partaking in any school-sponsored gym activities."

As the students began to arrive for class, Conan noticed that along with their classmates, Genta, Ayumi, and Mitsushiko filed in. Over the past years, the world had learned of the Detective Boys, and they had quickly risen in fame and acclaim, mostly thanks to Conan and Ai. The second they walked in, the three looked around for familiar faces, and spotted Conan and Ai. Mitsushiko looked a little nervous and edgy to Conan, but Ayumi and Genta were overjoyed to see their friends again after summer break. They approached the two, eager to share stories of their summer adventures and journeys, but Mitsushiko hung back, fixing Ai with an avid stare that Conan noted with a small frown.

_What is he doing? Why is he staring at Ai like that? _He wondered, feeling a bit protective._ Wait, what did I just call her? Well, whatever. I know Mitsushiko had a thing for her when we were still in elementary school, but I warned him away... I mean, this is ridiculous... he has no idea who we really are, what we really are. I thought he'd gotten over that foolishness years ago, but I guess not... I'll have to talk to him__; I mean… _Mitsushiko _and Ai? That's just disgusting. _Suddenly, another part of his mind asked, _More sickening than your recent infatuation with Ran? _Angrily, Conan ignored the voice and continued his mental tirade, _Disgusting, revolting, _nauseating_!! _Conan walked up and stood beside Ai, watching Mitsushiko's reaction to his protective stance. As predicted, Mitsushiko's face fell into a crestfallen expression, glancing sadly at the two.

"Conan! Ai!" Ayumi squealed happily upon seeing her friends. "How have you guys been? I tried to contact you guys over the summer, but it was as if you'd vanished from the face of the Earth; I couldn't find you guys _anywhere_.

Conan smiled to himself, _That's because we didn't want to be found… at least, not by you._ "Um… we were busy," Conan said out loud, "we were out a lot and stuff." _Or in the basement hiding from you._

Ayumi smiled. "That's okay… now that school's started, we'll all be spending a lot more time together!"

Conan tried his best to suppress a groan, but was saved by the coach's announcement of the beginning of class. As class progressed, the coach went through the school rules concerning leaving school grounds, use of school equipment, an outline of the class activities, and passed out/read the school's disclaimer that cleared the school of any responsibilities concerning 'all future and possible injuries as a result of use of school equipment or completion of the school's gym syllabus', and then allowed the class to talk quietly for the remainder of the time.

Ai's eyes lit up when she saw the syllabus, and Conan glanced at his curiously. _What is it that she finds so interesting?_ He asked himself.

"Look!" Ai whispered excitedly. "This is so awesome! Self-defense/martial arts, paintball, soccer, marksmanship, swimming, track, field sports, hockey, climbing, hiking, biking… all kinds of cool stuff!"

"I don't doubt that you can kick ass in martial arts, but paintball? What's that?" Conan asked curiously while looking down the list of activities to be covered during the year.

"Paintball!" Ai answered happily with unrestrained enthusiasm. "You run around on a field with paintball markers, which are like guns that shoot paint. You have teams of three, five, or one and usually a three to five minute time limit. It's really fun; I used to play it all the time when I was—" Ai broke off and turned away, all traces of exuberance gone. "Younger," Haibara finished lamely. _When I was training to be the perfect assassin,_ she thought bitterly. _When I was growing up in the ranks of the Organization, learning how to be a criminal._

"…and you're good at that?" Conan asked a little incredulously as he stared at the girl beside him.

_I was the best. I could bunker any other agent in under 45 seconds from the whistle. I could take out a team of five alone with a maximum of five paintballs and half the time to spare. Oh yeah, and from my second game on, I have _**never**_ been marked._ "I'm okay at it," Ai mumbled modestly.

From his seat, Mitsushiko watched Ai with an unfaltering glance as if mystified. Noticing that Conan and Ai didn't exactly act like they were together, he frowned. _What's going on, then? I guess I'll wait until Ai's alone and ask her, or if I have to, Conan. Conan's always been like a brother to me, but… I just would rather not discuss this with him; I don't know why, but I just have a feeling that maybe it wouldn't be a pleasant conversation._ Several times, Mitsushiko considered asking Ai in front of the others, but quickly rejected the idea, choosing to wait for another opportunity. Glancing towards the clock, Mitsushiko realized that class ended in five minutes, and he probably didn't have another class with Ai since she took all of the 'crazily advanced classes'…along with Conan. Inwardly, he sighed. _Well, at least everyone's talking, so not that many people will hear this… here goes._ He took a deep breath, steeling himself, and shifted so he was closer to Ai, ignoring the twitching of Conan's ears and slight turn of his head.

"Ai…" he began.

Ai lifted an eyebrow at Mitsushiko's form of address, and Conan slowly turned his head fully around.

"I was wondering," Mitsushiko continued, "if… I know it's not any of my business," he broke off sheepishly, cheeks tinged with a pink hue as his eyes roved every smudge on the gym floor, delaying the second he had to meet Haibara's gaze, "but I have to know… What—is there anything—are you and—do you and C-Conan—are you going out with Conan?" he finally managed, eyes still glued to the floor.

After a few seconds' of silence, Mitsushiko glanced up to see Ai's shocked face. _Oh, man… this is bad. This is beyond bad… it's _**bad**_. This is the emotionless girl… look at her. Look what you've done! _"I… I'm sorry." Mitsushiko stuttered, his face now entirely imbued with a red tint. "I didn't mean to offend you, either of you," he added hastily looking up at Conan's strange expression. _Is he… is he actually embarrassed?_ Mitsushiko would have laughed, but this really wasn't the proper time for that.

Seeing that Mitsushiko wasn't leaving without an answer, Conan stepped in. "No," he answered bluntly, "we're not."

"So…" a hopeful light shone in Mitsushiko's eyes. "I…will you go out with me?"


	7. Mitsushiko? !

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.

The Quandary  
Chapter 6 - Mitsushiko?!  
08.06.04

Erstwhile:   
Mitsushiko to Ai: "...are you going out with Conan?" he finally managed, eyes still glued to the floor.

... Seeing that Mitsushiko wasn't leaving without an answer, Conan stepped in. "No," he answered bluntly, "we're not."

"So…" a hopeful light shone in Mitsushiko's eyes. "I…will you go out with me?"

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"So…" a hopeful light shone in Mitsushiko's eyes. "I…will you go out with me?" he asked Ai softly, his eyes brimming with a pleading quality. "I—I've liked you for the past few years, but I've never had the guts to… to actually say anything…" he trailed off hopefully. He felt as if the world had stopped and everyone in the gym was staring at him, ready to burst into derisive laughter at any time. His ears flamed and he looked down at his shoes.

"I..." _How do I turn him down without crushing him? I can't just say 'no' brusquely... _Haibara debated her course of action as another thought rose up in her head. _What do you care? He's just a kid; since when did you give a damn anyways?_ Fighting the urge to flat out refuse, Ai spoke out, "I'll get back to you on that tomorrow, okay? I really have to get to class." Haibara gestured at the clock, which read 12:47 PM.

"Okay," Mitsushiko answered happily. "I have to get to Accounting anyways. So... I'll see you tomorrow, then."

Once the trio was out of earshot, Conan turned to Haibara. "Let's go," he said distantly.

They managed to slip into the classroom unnoticed as the teacher was making her speech.

"So... we will be starting the year off with a slight review from Chemistry; we'll cover the functional groups first. If you haven't taken Chemistry, report to the counseling office immediately for a schedule change." She stared a the class expectantly, as if she knew there were students who had attempted to bypass Chemistry.

Slowly, a student stood and left the classroom, taking his backpack with him. "Come on... I know there are three of you," she continued in an annoyed voice. Ai smirked at Conan, who just gazed back dully before giving a weak smile. Sighing, the teacher reached for the student roster.

"Ai Haibara and Conan Edogawa," she announced expectantly. When there was no response, she glared at the ranks of the class. "Haibara, Edogawa, step up," she ordered harshly.

Ai and Conan stood grudgingly, but didn't move a muscle beyond that.

"Well, get out!" the teacher, Ando, demanded angrily.

"Why?" Ai asked.

"Because, as I explained earlier to the students that are not deaf, you will need a strong background in Chemistry to succeed in Biology," Ando replied in a sugary tone that suggested she was speaking to a child.

"I think we're both okay with that," Ai replied, trying to keep at least an iota of respect in her voice, but it was extremely difficult.

"Name a functional group," Ando challenged, still using her sugary tone.

"Amine," Ai answered in a bored tone, quickly naming the group most familiar to her. "Group with nitrogen, bonded to carbon, as a key atom. Amines act as Brønsted-Lowry bases since they are proton acceptors, and due to this basic nature, amines can react with carboxylic acids to form amides, which are commonly formed along with amino acids' peptide bonds."

"Since you seem to know _so_ much about amino acids, why don't you tell us the difference between DNA transcription and translation?" Ando asked after a quick recovery from her shock.

_Jeez, stop being a spiteful, vindictive bitch and just let it go that I'm better than you, okay?_ Ai was feeling uncharacteristically immodest. "Transcription involves the synthesis of mRNA--that's messenger RNA," Ai threw in just to spite Ando, "from its complementary DNA. Translation is the formation of protein at a ribosome from the mRNA." Ai finished, glancing at the teacher for her response.

Ando looked livid. Her face was all but purple with rage, and her body gave off occasional tremors. She opened her mouth to speak, but Ai cut in.

"And that was not a fair question because that's a topic to be covered in Biology, not something we learned in Chemistry," Haibara continued in the same tone she had adopted during her explanations.

"_Fine!_" Ando roared. "You stay." Turning to Conan, she began to pummel him with questions about thermochemistry, specific properties of random elements, and whatever she could think of, all of which Conan answered brilliantly.

However, Conan did not seem pleased by the situation, or even amused. He just sat limply, tuning the world out. _How could she? How could she even consider Mitsushiko's offer? Does she not realize that it's bordering on pedophilia? That it's disgusting beyond words? That it's immoral to allow this to continue without informing Mitsushiko of our conditions? Informing Mitsushiko is out of the question, since it would place us both in higher danger of exposure, thus this Mitsushiko/Ai thing will not work,_ he told himself firmly. _I have to talk to her about it. ...but it's none of my business. I can't talk about it without making myself seem crazily overprotective. I can't _**do**_ anything about it. ...Except show her that I care. I'll..._Thousands of ideas ran through his head, but to Conan, none were good enough. _There has to be the perfect course of action that will bring Ai to her senses and make her realize that she can**not** accept Mitsushiko, but I can't seem to find it. It's like... I'll have to do something drastic, y'know? Like... like go through with my plan. Go to the Syndicate and turn myself in for her sister's safe return, steal some information about the Organization during my stay, and get out, or even collapse the evil Syndicate from deep within. Yeah... I'll do it. I'll do it._

Conan didn't even notice the conclusion of class until Haibara shook him.

"Hey, snap out of it; class is over and we have to be in Chemistry in five minutes!" Ai tried to keep her voice low. "Hey...Hey! Ku-Edogawa!" she amended, seeing that Ando was watching them closely. Expecting to have to drag Conan to Chemistry, she reached out to grab his hand, but paused; she wasn't sure if he would mind, so biting her lip, she began to shake him by shoulders.

Conan was still thinking about his plan to destroy the Organization when he felt a jolt run through him, a tingling feeling that began at his shoulders and slowly spread throughout his entire being. He looked up in time to see Haibara's face peering at him.

"Are you okay?" she asked in a concerned voice. "Class has been over for a while… we only have about two minutes to get to class," she finished.

Conan shook his head slightly before answering, "Today is just not our day… we've been running to 'the next class' ever since lunch."

Haibara laughed. "Well, let's go… we don't want to be late; we might miss some important information." She smirked and shot a meaningful glance at Ando before turning and walking out the door. 

Complacently, Conan followed without giving much thought to where he was heading. _I'll definitely need some waterproof matches, water, I'll have to grab all of Agasa's toys, some food or other source of nourishment, a suit of black clothes, extra hypodermic needles for the watch, a pocketknife, and maybe even--_

_ "Shinichi!_" Ai whispered urgently. "Where--" she began, but broke off when she met Conan's questioning gaze.

_So I'm Shinichi now, am I? _he thought, cocking an eyebrow at Haibara.

"Sorry," Ai managed quickly, flustered. "Kudo," she amended, "where are we?" Catching the unchanged look on Conan's face, she grew a bit annoyed. "Come on... it's my first day here, and it's not like either of us bothered to attend the orientation since _you_ said you'd show me around. Ever since the end of gym, you've been acting kind of out of it... are--are you okay?"

_Am I okay? Let me see...NO! Why can't you see? Why can't you see that it's ridiculous to even consider Mitsushiko, that it's killing me that you _are_ taking his words into consideration, that I'd break if you were to accept? _"It doesn't concern you," he grated harshly.

Having lived with Haibara for the past eight years, Conan had learned to read the finer features of her masks, and was able to sense the moods that were invisible to all others. He immediately regretted his tone and choice of words when he saw a hairline crack make its way up the side of her mask as the lucid blue pools of her eyes reflected hurt and confusion.

Stepping forward, Conan tried to apologize, but Ai cut him off before he could even open his mouth. "Just get us to Chemistry," she interrupted coldly.

_What the _**hell**_ did you just do, you idiot? What was that for? _Mentally, Conan sighed and turned around. Wordlessly, he headed for the closest door and pushed it open to be greeted by a strong gust of wind whipping at his face. Holding the door, he turned and waited for Haibara to exit the building without meeting her eyes before turning and walking up a flight of stairs. Once again, he held the door for Ai, looking anywhere but at her, and followed her inside.

They reached the the Chemistry lab just in time to hear the teacher announce, "Okay, class... quiz next time on the material we've just covered! Hey, you two!" she added, noticing the two students who were trying to sneak into the back of the classroom inconspicuously. "Come up and get your textbooks, and read Chapter 1... that's pages one to 56."

Trying to avoid a repeat of Biology, Ai grabbed her textbook wordlessly, and Conan copied her actions, taking his book silently.

"Okay, class... I'm going to pass out the final exam for this course. This is not going to be for a grade, so don't worry when--if you do badly," she caught herself just in time. She knew that none of the students would be passing the test, but she didn't want to sound patronizing, and began to hand out the tests.

Ai made an extreme effort to counter the forces pulling at her facial muscles, and managed to transform the forming smirk into a small twitch. _Yeah... when I fail. That'll be that day,_ she thought to herself. _What the hell is up with these stupid teachers underestimating me anyways? It's like they've never taught anyone who's clearly above the class level. Oh well..._ she halfheartedly began working on the test. _Read the following equations and indicate the direction in which the listed properties will shift. Provide the electron configuration for the following elements. Explain whether the following reaction(s) will take place, using proof from the activity series to back your claim. Define and locate the triple point on this graph. Write an equation using OH- as a base, then one with OH- as an acid. Hmm... yeah, this is really hard; I think I would have failed it when I was three._ Haibara finished all 100 questions of the test in fifteen minutes and turned her paper over, staring blankly at the clock, willing it to turn faster.

Checking the roster, the Chemistry instructor, Marusa, found Ai's name and called out, "Haibara... there are five essay questions at the end."

"I'm done," Ai replied, trying to keep her tone even and free of her evident boredom.

"Very well. I'll be taking your test, then," Marusa replied, walking over to Ai's lab counter and picking up her paper. As she passed by, she saw Conan drawing absently on the back of his test papers, so she took his paper as well. The other students gaped at the two before hurriedly glancing down at their own tests as Marusa walked by.

Marusa sat down with the two papers and began grading them, starting with the essays. Glancing down at the five short paragraphs she saw, she was tempted to throw their papers into the trash. Even the best of her students had not been able to score a perfect 100% on this test, even on the second try at the end of the year with pages of explanations and essays, and these two kids thought five measly paragraphs would suffice? She shook her head and held her red pen poised above the paper, ready to critique. When she began reading, her eyes widened in shock at the depth of the student's obvious understanding of organic chemistry. In five short paragraphs, Ai Haibara had succeeded in clearly explaining every detail requested by the prompts in an extraordinary show of impressive and concise writing. The other paper, written by Edogawa, showed that he was slightly less eloquent, but also well-versed in topics covered in Chemistry I. She glanced at the roster once more. _Freshmen?!_ _First in my entire teaching career to possess such amazing brilliance, both in the same year? This should be a very interesting and competitive class..._ She glanced at the two again, and noticed that Edogawa looked oddly unfocused, as if... as if thinking about other issues, and Haibara just looked bored.

At the end of class, Conan stood and picked up the backpack he hadn't bothered to open, and headed out the classroom, exiting the building and scuffling down the stairs. Turning his head, he saw Haibara following him, eyebrows furrowed in a perplexed manner.

"You know the way home, right?" he asked. _I'll just beat her home, grab all of my stuff, and leave before she even gets back._

Ai nodded, and Conan began running in the direction of the professor's lab. After a while, the scent of strawberries wafted by his nose, and he turned his head to see Ai effortlessly keeping up with him. Frustrated, he racked his brains for other ideas, but found none. _I guess I'll have to leave in the middle of the night._

Upon reaching the professor's lab, Conan's home for the past few years, Conan immediately raced up the stairs to his room and started packing his things quietly. Haibara wandered into the kitchen and saw a note on the table. It was addressed to 'Ai and Conan', so she picked it up and began to read.

_Conan, Ai,_

_I'll be out doing some research, and probably won't be back until 7:00 or 8:00, so plan on cooking for yourselves. _Ai chuckled at the joke. _It's concerning a new project I'm trying to make, appearance-altering drugs._

_ Agasa_

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Review? .hopeful smile.

aria sunset: Thanks for the compliments! As for the pairings, you'll just have to read on! .evil grin. Hint: take a look at everything else I've authored, then make an 'educated guess' as to what the pairing will be. I assure you, it will take Shinichi Kudo's detective skills and millions of perusals of my other fics to figure out, since they're .all. supporting the .same. couple, even though the songfics are angsty.


	8. Confession

Disclaimer: Not mine. Hands off my plot, though.

The Quandary

Chapter 7 - OOC Fest!

Last Time:

"You know the way home, right?" he asked. _I'll just beat her home, grab all of my stuff, and leave before she even gets back._

Ai nodded, and Conan began running in the direction of the professor's lab. After a while, the scent of strawberries wafted by his nose, and he turned his head to see Ai effortlessly keeping up with him. Frustrated, he racked his brains for other ideas, but found none. _I guess I'll have to leave in the middle of the night._

Upon reaching the professor's lab, Conan's home for the past few years, Conan immediately raced up the stairs to his room and started packing his things quietly. Haibara wandered into the kitchen and saw a note on the table. It was addressed to 'Ai and Conan', so she picked it up and began to read.

_Conan, Ai,_

_I'll be out doing some research, and probably won't be back until 7:00 or 8:00, so plan on cooking for yourselves. _Ai chuckled at the joke. _It's concerning a new project I'm trying to make, appearance-altering drugs. These should be fun to play around with, and won't be illegal for a few years until the authorities learn of their existence. _

_ Agasa_

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Ai left the kitchen with the note in her hand, opened the basement door, and threw her backpack down the stairs before starting upstairs to show Conan the note. After knocking on his door, Haibara stepped back and waited. _What's _**with**_ him today? He's acting really strange, as if he's angry with me. I mean, everything was fine this morning and he suggested that we leave for lunch..._

"Kudo," she called, keeping her tone neutral.

_Gods, it sounded so much better when she called me Shinichi, _Conan thought, leaning against the door on the inside. _I mean... I know I questioned it at that time, but now, thinking back, it just felt so... so right. If Mitsushiko hadn't--If I'd gotten to it first, I... well I guess it's kind of too late for that now._

"Kudo," she repeated after a few seconds of silence, but there was still no response. _I guess he doesn't want to see me,_ she thought. "Hey, can you at least be civil?" she asked, annoyed. "It's not like I did anything wrong, okay? Just open the door."

_Not like you did anything wrong? You wouldn't know, would you? You wouldn't know that the whole Mitsushiko factor is slowly eating away at me, ripping my heart out millimeter by millimeter. _Conan resumed packing, never uttering a word in response; he didn't know how to explain himself to Ai, and was afraid that it would all come rushing out in a jumble, afraid that she would just laugh and turn him down.

"Okay, fine. Just... be like that," Ai sighed in vexation and bent down to slip the professor's note under Conan's door. _Why does his behavior bother you so much anyways? Just forget it... _Haibara entered her own room and flopped onto the bed, abandoning all plans of going into the basement. _Perfect. This is wonderful, just _**great**_. We finally get used to each other, and now I have to somehow destroy the Syndicate in order to save my sister and avoid having to turn him in. I mean... what's it to you, anyways? Is it more than conscience that's stopping you from sacrificing him, even when he's acting like such a jerk? _She pictured Conan as she argued with herself. _Yes, _a voice inside her insisted. _Admit it... everything about him is perfect; his stupid, reckless bravery, the ease with which he solves mysteries, his stubborn blindness to girls' feelings, his skill with a soccer ball, his childlike curiosity... _Ai drifted off into a dreamless slumber, her last thoughts still trying to convince her that Shinichi Kudo was worth the trouble.

The jarring, persistent jangle of the telephone wrenched Haibara from her nap and she sat up, stifling a yawn as she reached over for the telephone.

"Hello?"

"Ai! I'm not going to make it back tonight; I was just contacted by a friend of mine in the States, Dr. Wyrick; I think he'll be able to help me with the drug , so I'm flying over immediately," Professor Agasa said quickly, "I know the two of you can take care of yourselves, so I won't start a screed on that. I'll call twice a week, and I'm guessing that it'll take a month or so, but that's tentative. If you need to contact me, call my cell phone."

Ai was a little surprised at this; the professor hadn't packed any bags or anything at all, and this was definitely a 'spur of the moment' decision. "Aren't you coming back to pack your bags?"

"I'm okay... I'll be staying at Wyrick's lab, and all I really need is the data that I can access through his computer. If there's nothing else, I'll talk to you later," the professor glanced out the window at the planes pulling in, "I think my plane's here."

"All right. Have a safe trip, professor," Haibara answered softly before hanging up.

_I guess I'll go tell Shin...Kudo about this. _No matter how hard she tried to stop thinking about him as Shinichi, Ai couldn't help it. _Besides, it's not like anyone else will ever know anyways. _It wasn't until she opened her door that she realized how late it was; it was so dark she couldn't even see her own hand. _Well... I wouldn't want to wake him up, so I'll go downstairs and check the time and maybe grab something to eat._ Carefully, she proceeded down the steps silently, so as not to wake Conan. She glanced at the luminous green display of the kitchen's digital clock, and was surprised to see that it was already 12:18 AM. _Wow... good thing today's Friday...wait, what does it matter to me? I can just sleep through all of my classes. _She turned and was about to reach for the basement door when it swung open. Surprised, she quickly moved back, melting into the shadows. She relaxed when she saw that it was only Conan, but tensed when she saw that he carried his backpack with him and wore the wrist watch/stun gun he had not touched for two years. _Gods, is he actually--is he really going to do it? That's insane... he's going to get himself killed! _Ignoring the soft flutter of her heart, Ai crept to the front door and leaned against it, managing to avoid furniture and other objects using skills she learned as a child. Focusing her adjusted eyes, she saw Conan stumbling towards the front door and mentally thanked her mentor, Malibu, for training her eyes to tolerate low levels of light.

Conan reached out for the doorknob, but felt the slick surface of the door instead. Sliding his hand down, he grasped the doorknob, twisted gently, and pulled, but to his surprise, it didn't budge. Without relinquishing his hold on the doorknob, Conan pulled a little harder, but no avail. He leaned down in a futile attempt to see what was wrong with the door, unaware that his face was only inches from Ai's.

Even if she couldn't see at all in the dark, Haibara would have felt his presence. Grateful for the darkness that hid her burning face, she tried to calm her racing heart.

"Going somewhere?" a voice mere centimeters from Conan's face asked coolly. His nose detected a trace of mint as Ai's breath fluttered across his face, making his heart sprint. Biting back a yelp, he jumped several feet into the air in surprise.

"H-Haibara! You-you..." he trailed off, breathing heavily. "I... I was just--I..." _...am in deep shit now. But I mean, why does she even care? What does it matter to her what I choose to do? _he thought bitterly. _It's not like she came up with a logical plan that would successfully remove 100% of the danger from associating with _**them. **_Why isn't she upstairs planning her first date with Mitsushiko?_

_I can't believe he's actually doing this! Did he just miss the entire conversation during lunch, or what? _she fumed mentally. _I mean--just calm down, _she told herself, _pretend it doesn't bother you that much. Stay calm, control expression; readjust the mask. Don't let him know any more than necessary. _ "I thought we settled this over lunch!" Ai exploded furiously.

With his silence, all Haibara had just resolved to do just went out the window; she expected at least a halfway decent explanation, not stubborn silence. It wasn't like he could see her face contorted in anger anyways. "I explicitly asked you _not_ to. You agreed. So why are you trying to sneak out?"

"Why?" Conan echoed. "Why don't you take one minute to think about it? Or go ask Mitsushiko?" Conan reached for the doorknob once again.

Fighting the feeling of desperation rising inside her, Ai reached out and grabbed Conan's wrist, preventing him from reaching the door. The second she touched his hand, Conan froze and tensed. A tingling surge of warmth washed over him, clouding his mind, and he couldn't help the tremor that ran down his spine.

"Give me a reason. Give me a good reason I shouldn't go." Conan said slowly.

"I... well, give me a reason you should," Haibara replied quickly, avoiding the question.

"I just... because you... the decision puts too much stress on you, and I don't think you should have to make that decision." Conan quickly made up a reason to present.

"Okay, even if I shouldn't have to make that decision, what gives you the idea that _you_ have even the slightest fraction of the right to make _my_ decision?" Ai spat. The tension from her inner turmoil and the current situation was smashing through the layers of her mask, shattering it.

"_What makes me think I have the right to do this? _This is _my_ life we're talking about, so I think I'm free to make this decision!" Conan answered scathingly.

"How does this concern your life at all? _It doesn't._" Ai replied angrily.

"It's _my _life they want in exchange for your sister's. _Mine_, not yours. Don't you think that you know, living as a prisoner of the Syndicate _might_ just make a difference in my life? You know, like just a little bit?" Conan burst out, his face pulled into a scowl as he tightened his grip on the doorknob.

"You... what?" Ai faltered. _You don't actually think I'd turn you in to begin with? After all these years, after all we've been through, after all I've said, you'd think that? _"You really think I'd actually turn you in?" she whispered, looking at him with azure eyes that radiated pain and disappointment from behind the battered mask.

"Well, you...she..." Conan wavered. "She's your sister, and I...I'm nothing to you. Why would you even stop to consider it?"

"Did it never occur to you that if I had decided to turn you in for my sister, then you would not be standing here right now? Did it never occur to you that if I had decided to exchange you, your proposition during lunch would not have... affected me in that manner? Did it never occur to you that if I never stopped to consider, I wouldn't be trying to stop you from leaving?!" Haibara yelled.

"Maybe you're planning it out, to catch me off guard. Maybe you were faking it at lunch, or my idea was totally different from yours. Yours would have me turned over to them in such a fashion that it would be highly unlikely or impossible for me to get out, but if we had planned the whole thing-"

"What the hell is your problem?" Ai shouted. "Why are you doubting me?"

"Huh, I dunno, maybe it's just because you worked for those bastards for 17 years, it was your work that landed me in this situation, and it's your fault that I'm stuck in this fucked up life!" Conan fell silent as a wave of guilt suddenly crashed down upon him. Trying to ignore his thoughts, Conan grasped the doorknob and gave the door a tug, trying to nudge Ai out of the way with the door, but he had overestimated her weight, causing her to stumble and fall. When he noticed this, he paused and turned.

"No! You can't go out there!" Ai was shocked to hear her voice break. _17.5 years of training for this? But then again, everything's different one he's introduced to the equation. _Ai shook her head violently. "Don't go..." she repeated in a pleading whisper. _What if you die?! _her mind screamed, willing Conan to see the inevitable dangers involved in this suicide mission. "Please, don't go." She ignored the sobs wrenching her body as she struggled to keep her balance.

"Why?!" Conan screamed. "All I've heard from you about that is something along the lines of 'no', 'don't', 'you can't'. I saw how upset it made you, and by Doyle's grave, I can't figure out a logical reason, but I respected you and held back any questions. Now you're using this reasoning to stop me from doing something I have to do, so I think I deserve an explanation: why? Why won't you just let me go?" He demanded, clearly frustrated.

Being an introvert, Ai was clearly torn between divulging sensitive information and holding back, but remained silent.

Sighing, Conan turned to leave, adjusting his backpack and stepping over the doorframe into the soft glow of the moonlight. He breathed in the scent of the night air, the scent of the city, knowing that he would never return.

"I..." Haibara paused, face cast in defeat. "I... it's because I—I love you," she choked, allowing the tears to course down her face unchecked.


	9. Entr'acte: Saving Ran

A/N: Individual review responses (in order of posts)! Thanks to all reviewers!

aria sunset - Yeah, definitely... Mitsushiko/Ai is a little gross.  
Annitha - Wondering about your fic, too... hope to see it soon!  
Shredding Veils of Illusion - Thanks for your support... I think the main reason a lot of people don't like this is because it's not S/R, and DC has just debuted in the US like a month ago, so most authors who know English well don't know much about it.  
SR4ever - ...interesting, but if you're going to say S/S supporters lack brains, it would be a much more convincing argument if you learned to capitalize and spell first.  
mysteriousangelgirl - Thanks for reading and commenting on (and not flaming) this even though you don't support S/S.  
cvbh - ::laugh:: ...so do I!  
Me - I've had all types of comments before, but that has to be the sweetest review I have ever gotten.   
Spede - You are a god! Waking up and finding so many reviews in my inbox was the best thing ever!  
Anna - Uh... yeah. What gave it away? (Or was it that A/N about the Chinese version of the manga?)

The Quandary  
Chapter 7   
Entr'acte - Conan's Diary - Saving Ran

21.06, 12:34 AM  
I don't know... I tricked Gin into planning to kill Ran by starvation. Now I'll have the maximum possible amount of time to plane and execute the rescue; I'll need every second. The plan must be perfect, flawless... I _must not_ fail.  
Basically, it happened like this: I was following Gin after sighting him in the crowds, and shadowed him until he entered an old, abandoned building. I tried to get closer, but he saw me. His expression was that of genuine shock, so he didn't notice I was following him. However, it quickly changed, and I knew something was wrong from the way he smiled, but had no idea what. We began exchanging words - threats, demands, insults, and curses, when the strangest expression flit across his face, as if he had just become totalitarian dictator of the world. And then he brought Ran out.   
I'm sure it wasn't previously planned, because he was genuinely surprised that I was in the stupid shack. ...that means that shack is where they're hiding Ran, since they were able to bring her out in a second's notice. They'll expect me to expect them to find a new location, so they'll stay in the same location to trick me. Even if they do move her, I put a tracer on both Ran and Gin, so I can track them easily. All I need is a recorder, and maybe a knife to cut ropes.

21.06, 2:26 PM.  
Gathered all materials today, planning routes. I'm going to do this tonight.

23.06, 11:43 PM  
That... didn't go so well. I mean, I've known since Ai told me there was no cure, since Ran went off to college six years ago that there was no hope for us, that it was best just to forget her, and I have, but... I still consider her a friend, and I just messed up pretty badly back there... They... they hid in the shadows, and when I approached, they jumped out and shot her, right in front of me, I...  
The text cut off with a heavy gash across the page.  
How could I let my guard down enough to let them triumph over me again? It happened at Tropical Land, with Ai's sister, on the train, with the briefcase, with the game designer, and at the film party. I...  
The text ended abruptly, as if Conan's fury at having been outwitted once again by the Organization was beyond words and expression.


	10. Revelations

Thanks to reviewers:

Dagron - Hmm... I guess Kogoro'd be pretty upset...if he's sober enough to notice. (Okay, fine... I always pick on him for liking beer and exaggerate it.) Thanks for telling me Mitsushiko was your fav. DB... gave me a new idea about Haibara's response (I never really plan out the details like this, so they're pretty flexible). I dunno... we studied amines last year in 10th grade, so I just wrote that part in for fun (can you tell I hate school?).

Anna - I'm living in the US... otherwise my English would be horribly incomprehensible (like my Chinese).

Me - Haha... that's similar to what I've planned for them!   
  
Spede - Uh... these entries were written 3 weeks ago when Ran died, but I just brought them up to clarify the whole death thing b/c I hadn't given very many details up 'til that point.  
-------------------  
Last time:  
"Why?!" Conan screamed. "All I've heard from you about that is something along the lines of 'no', 'don't', 'you can't'. I saw how upset it made you, and by Doyle's grave, I can't figure out a logical reason, but I respected you and held back any questions. Now you're using this reasoning to stop me from doing something I have to do, so I think I deserve an explanation: why? Why won't you just let me go?" He demanded, clearly frustrated.

Being an introvert, Ai was clearly torn between divulging sensitive information and holding back, but remained silent.

Sighing, Conan turned to leave, adjusting his backpack and stepping over the doorframe into the soft glow of the moonlight. He breathed in the scent of the night air, the scent of the city, knowing that he would never return.

"I..." Haibara paused, face cast in defeat. "I... it's because I—I love you," she choked, allowing the tears to course down her face unchecked.  
-------------------

The Quandary  
Chapter 9 - Revelations

Conan was shocked. _All along...? And she put up with the way I acted for half the day? Wow... I have some apologizing to do. But yeah... she-I-we... Just give her those three words and shut up, freak! _But he couldn't get the words out. Instead, he looked back at her slight, trembling figure standing by the wall, noticing how her pale face was bathed in moonlight, how the tears trailing down her cheeks reflected the glow of the moon, and not for the first time, thought, _Gods, she's beautiful..._

"I didn't-I shouldn't...sorry," Haibara had noticed Conan's silence. "I shouldn't have said that. I kept telling myself to keep it inside; that's-why-I-never-explained-why-I-didn't-want-you-to-leave," Ai began running her words together, "because-I-was-afraid-you'd-react-this-way-and-I-would-find-myself-bereft-of-even-the-comfort-derived-from-our-friendship," she whispered, the words rushing from her mouth like a flowing river. She realized that she actually felt relieved as she released the pent-up emotions, and that the tears didn't bother her one bit.

In two quick strides, Conan crossed the room and gathered Haibara in his arms, pausing to marvel at how perfectly she fit, like a key to its lock. Ai was still shaking violently, so he lowered his voice before speaking.

"No, it's fine!" he insisted in a soothing tone, looking down into her eyes, losing himself in the limpid blue pools. Slowly, he reached out with his right hand and cupped her face, gently brushing the tears from her pale face as he tilted her face upwards. "Because I love you too," he whispered, unable to tear his eyes from the entrancing depths of Haibara's eyes.

---------------------------------

The rising sun began its routine journey across the sky, heralding the start of a new day. After a sleepless night, Ai stood by the window, staring outside, occasionally reaching up and running two fingers over her lips. In the next room, Conan quietly left at first light and snuck across the carpet, entering the room next door silently. Seeing Haibara with her back turned, he crept forward.

Ai didn't even start as a pair of arms encircled her waist from behind, pulling her into a hug. Triumphantly, Conan tilted his head and whispered into her ear, "Got you that time."

"Think about what you just said," Ai answered without turning around.

_If she didn't react to the physical contact, that means she was already aware of my presence, which means I failed to sneak up on her... again._

At the lapse of silence, Haibara smirked to herself, but dropped the expression immediately. "Anyways, about last night..." Conan detected a tinge of embarrassment in her voice. "I'm really sorry; I was totally out of line and-" she was cut off abruptly as the hands crossed at her waist loosened and slid up to her shoulders, applying slight pressure and spinning her around to face Conan. Instinctively, Conan lowered his head and put his lips to hers.

A rush of emotions coursed through Ai's veins, feelings she hadn't though possible, to extents she hadn't thought possible; she felt as if she had just truly begun to live. All coherence and reason fled as her intellect surrendered to the onslaught of emotions. Then the instability settled in, gnawing at her strength. She pitched forward, glad for something to support her.

Conan felt like he had just downed a Bloody Mary on a wintry, snowy day; a warm glow radiated from his heart, enveloping his body. He nearly collapsed from the sensations flowing through his body, so he pushed Ai against the nearest wall for support as he continued to breathe her in. Seemingly of their own accord, his fingers slipped into her hair, pressing her to him and closing the barely-existent gap between them. A while later, a thought somehow pushed through, bringing him to his senses. Reluctantly, he broke away.

The foreign emotions still circulated within, and her recently-revived mind quickly labeled them as dangerous. Dangerous, yet addictive; it had only been a second since he'd pulled away, and she already felt strangely different... _incomplete. _She felt incomplete. Ai's eyes widened as she came into full realization of what she had just done. Pointedly avoiding Conan's gaze, she stared at the white carpet of her room, willing the color of her flaming cheeks to recede.

Drawing a deep breath, he began, "Ai... that-that was amazing...but what about Mitsushiko?" Conan asked, his tone betraying his confusion.

"What _ about_ Mitsushiko? There's nothing to discuss about him." Ai replied plainly.

"He asked... he-you-I..." Conan stuttered. What did 'nothing to discuss' mean?

"Wait, is that... is _that _why you were so upset earlier? Because Mitsushiko asked me out?" All evidence of her previous embarrassment had vanished from Ai's face; her eyes sparkled with amusement yet her face remained impassive.

"I..." Conan was thoroughly embarrassed. What _had_ he been thinking? "Y.. yeah," he finally admitted slowly. "I guess I have a lot of apologizing to do now. Firstly, I'm sorry I thought you would actually seriously consider Mitsushiko, I'm sorry I acted like a total jerk as I wandered down the path beaten by my deluded conclusions, I'm sorry I thought you were willing to turn me in, I'm sorry I tried to sneak away, I'm sorry for not trusting you, I'm sorry for my stubbornness yesterday... and last night... I'm sorry I suddenly, randomly did that without ensuring that you were all right with it, but I'd be lying if I told you I'm sorry it happened." He smiled as he remembered the spontaneity of last night, how he had suddenly dipped his head and covered her mouth with his.

"In my eyes, all you did wrong was stop," Ai heard her own voice answer softly. _What? Did I just... _She felt her face burn as she quickly looked down again.

Conan 's smile widened as he broke the silence. "Let's go get something to eat."

Sitting at the table over a bowl of cereal, Conan stirred the mixture with his spoon uninterestedly. "So... what-where exactly are we?"

"'Where...are we'?" Haibara repeated.

"We... are we-are we going out?" Conan stumbled over his words, staring at the swirling milk in his bowl.

"...I guess I should tell Mitsushiko first..."

"You can just call him. We don't want him to make a scene at school, anyways." Conan answered.

"Never know who might be around to overhear...possibly even Genta and Ayumi. I think we'll have to discuss this in person." Haibara answered.

---------------------------------

"Mitsushiko, I'm sorry, but I can't accept your offer." Ai said as the boy sat down across from her at a coffee shop.

All of the excitement that had built up inside of him drained as Mitsushiko froze, a devastated look on his face. "Why?" he croaked, feeling as if he had just been punched in the face.

"I... there are things about me that you don't know." Haibara replied simply.

"It's not like you're a mass murderer on the run from the law. You... you're perfect. You're brilliant, quiet, pretty... you're the kind of girl a guy meets once in a lifetime, and luckily for me, you're my age."

"You see only what appears on the surface," Ai told him calmly. "I can't go out with you because... well, I-"

"She's dating me." A voice cut in.

Mitsushiko gave an involuntary start as he stared at the speaker. ?"

"Hey, Mitsushiko... are you hitting on my girl?" Conan teased.

Mitsushiko shook his head in awe. "Wow... now I see it. You guys are perfect for each other. I..." he turned to Haibara. "Thank you for not doing this in school. I should've seen this coming, but I was blinded. I... I have to get home now."

"Please don't tell anyone about this; keep it a secret, okay?" Ai asked as he rose to leave.

Mitsushiko nodded. "If that's what you want." Turning to face the pair squarely, he spoke, "Conan, Ai... I wish you the best of luck." He left, leaving Conan sitting beside Ai.

"_Your_ girl?" Ai asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Conan blushed, staring at a spot on the table. "Sorry. But I wanted him to leave."

"That's okay. Actually, I like it; it sounds... right." Ai replied with a slight smile.

The sudden rattle of a vibrating object against coins and keys emanated from Haibara's pocket, shattering the lighthearted atmosphere, pushing Haibara back into the corner of her mind she held as a sanctuary, the corner to which she had not retreated for years. Ai's face hardened, and a cloud passed over her eyes, dulling their clarity. Subconsciously, she began to shake as she reached for her pocket.

Conan's eyes narrowed as he watched her reaction, as she slipped back into the refuge her mind had created to escape the pain she had suffered. That call... it had to be from the Organization. He reached over and placed a hand on Haibara's shoulder, gently squeezing it reassuringly.

"Sherry here." Ai forced herself to identify herself using the name she thought she had escaped.

---------------------------------

A/N: Sapfest delivered as promised (Read the A/N from Chapter 2 of In Vino Veritas). Not much else to say, except thanks to reviewers!


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